


The Morrigan

by bluemoonmaverick



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-01
Updated: 2014-02-15
Packaged: 2018-01-10 18:14:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 36,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1162928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluemoonmaverick/pseuds/bluemoonmaverick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam and Jack enter hyperspace in the X-302 and wind up off course and stranded on a planet with a medieval culture, no Stargate, and an unfamiliar Goa'uld.  An action/adventure with a liberal dose of S/J ship.</p><p>**Sam & Jack Multimedia Award WINNER - Committee's Choice Award and Nominee - Best Adventure (2014) and Best Action/Adventure (2015)**</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story begins during the events of Redemption, Part 1, where Jack and Sam attempt to fly the X-302 to Abydos for the purpose of contacting the Asgard and stopping Anubis from destroying Earth. Much like the original episode, things don't quite go as planned, though in a much, much different way. A huge thanks goes to MidKnight Rider for the fantastic beta work. Enjoy!

General Hammond paced in the control room at the SGC, listening to the banter between Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter. He was proud that his officers sounded so calm discussing their mission, considering that nothing less than the future of the planet was riding on its success.

Though he would never show it, Hammond himself was concerned. The X-302 was untested, and two of his best were about to fly the plane through a window in hyperspace in an attempt to reach an entirely different solar system. Hammond shook his head. Jack O'Neill was a hell of a pilot, but this brought flying to whole new level.

But desperate times called for desperate measures, and if his officers weren't able to reach Abydos and contact the Asgard, then there was a good chance that the energy currently coming through the Stargate would ultimately cause it to explode, taking most of Colorado with it. The resulting environmental impact would ensure the extinction of all life on Earth.

He stopped. His officers were airborne now and preparing to activate the hyperdrive. He held his breath as they flew toward the hyperspace window - and then they were gone. "Godspeed, SG-1," he said quietly.


	2. Off Course

They exited the hyperspace window, and Jack felt his stomach lurch as the X-302 came to an abrupt halt. "Is it just me, or was that a particularly rough ride?" he asked his Second.

"Yes, sir," she replied, distracted. As she fiddled with the controls, he scanned the canopy looking for the large brown planet that had been their destination. He suddenly had a very bad feeling.

"Carter," he said, an edge creeping into his voice. "Where's Abydos?"

"Unknown, sir. It should be here." She paused and read her display. "It looks like we've been thrown off course."

He closed his eyes and tried not to swear out loud. "How far off course?" There was a definite edge to his voice now.

When she didn't answer, he took a breath in an attempt to reign in his growing sense of dread, unfortunately with little success. "Report, Major!"

"Far, sir." He could tell by her voice that the news was definitely not good. "According to the readings I have here, we're on the opposite side of the galaxy from where we're supposed to be."

"So plug in the right coordinates and let's try it again, shall we?"

"Well, that's just it, sir. Something must be wrong with the hyperdrive. I had the correct coordinates programmed when we left Earth, and we're still halfway across the galaxy. We went almost twice as far as we were supposed to go." She thought for a moment. "It must be the naquadria," she said to herself.

"Carter?"

"Sir, the naquadria powering the hyperdrive is unstable. If we try again, there's no telling where we might wind up."

"So, are you telling me that we're lost?"

"No, sir, I know where we are. So, not lost. Just off course. Way off course."

He couldn't keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "Well, I feel so much better then, Major."

"Sir, there's more. This was intended to be a one way trip. We're almost out of fuel. Even if the hyperdrive were working properly, we wouldn't have enough gas to make the trip to Abydos, or back to Earth for that matter."

"Perfect," he mumbled. "All right. I need options, Major, and I need them now."

"Well, there's a solar system nearby. There's a chance it may have a planet with a breathable atmosphere." She didn't mention that the odds were not good. In fact, they were infinitesimally small. Add to that the hope that one of the planets actually had a Stargate...well, that was bordering on fantasy.

"I thought you said we were low on fuel."

"We are, sir, but it would be such a short trip through hyperspace, we might just make it."

"Uh, Carter, I believe you said the hyperdrive was unstable."

Sam took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts. "Yes, sir. I've been thinking about that. I've hypothesized that the instability of the naquadria must be directly proportional to the distance..."

"Carter!"

She spoke quickly. "Since we're not going too far, I think we should be okay."

"So let me see if I've got this straight, Major. We're going to use the last of our fuel, which may or may not be sufficient, to take a short trip through hyperspace, which may or may not send us to our intended destination, which is a solar system that may or may not have a planet with a breathable atmosphere?"

She winced. "Yes, sir."

"And what's our Plan B?"

She paused for a moment. "Well, we could hope for the Asgard to swing by and beam us out of here before we run out of air," she offered. She knew that was borderline insubordinate and wondered if he'd call her on it.

But if he noticed, he didn't say anything. Instead, he let out a loud sigh. "Right, so Plan A it is, then. You know, of course, how much I hate Plan A, Carter. Our track record with Plan A has never been good."

"Yes, sir," she replied, this time with a half-hearted smile. "But the good news is that if Plan A doesn't work, we can move immediately to Plan B." He grunted at her.

She entered the coordinates. "Ready, sir."

"Right. Let's do this thing."

Sam punched the button for the hyperdrive, and a hyperspace window opened in front of them. Jack piloted the X-302 into the window, and they were momentarily thrust backwards against their seats as they entered hyperspace. In less than a second, they emerged on the other side, the aircraft coming to an abrupt halt for the second time.

Immediately ahead lay a medium yellow sun, surrounded by at least three satellites, the closest of which bore the familiar blue, green, and brown colors of Earth. Thick white swirls on the surface indicated the presence of an atmosphere. Sam gasped in astonishment as she looked at her display.

"Carter?"

"Sir," she replied, her voice full of wonder. "The sensors have detected sufficient oxygen in the atmosphere. The air is breathable."

"You're surprised, Major?"

"Well, yes, actually. The odds were pretty slim that we would find a habitable planet."

"Now you tell me this?"

Sam ignored him. "Sir, I'm picking up a concentrated heat signature on the far side of the planet. It might mean civilization."

"Which might also mean the presence of a Stargate, or at least people capable of interstellar travel. Let's head that direction."

"Yes, sir. I'm plugging in the coordinates now. And, sir?"

"Carter?"

"We're running on fumes."

"Understood, Major. I'll try to keep my foot off the gas."

"Yes, sir."

Jack fired the engines. As they drew closer to the planet, their hope of finding an advanced civilization dwindled. They detected no electricity, radio waves, or satellites, nor could they see any cities or other obvious signs of civilization.

As they entered the atmosphere, Jack hit the reverse thrusters in an attempt to slow the aircraft. Several alarms sounded in the cockpit at once. He flipped the switch that shut the auditory warnings down.

"That's it, Carter. We're out of fuel. Hang on – this landing could get a little bumpy."

Jack grabbed the stick and piloted the aircraft as best he could, the X-302 largely unresponsive and fighting him the whole way. As he came through the substantial cloud cover, he saw that there weren't many places he could safely put the plane down. Though he was aiming for a relatively open grassy clearing, he realized he was going to fall short of his intended destination.

At the last minute, he executed a maneuver that kept them away from the heart of a dense forest, but not before clipping some trees, one of which struck the canopy, causing it to shatter. Fortunately, the friction of the brush hitting the speeding craft helped to slow them substantially, so when he finally put the X-302 down on the grassy field, he was able to bring it to a full stop before hitting any other piece of the landscape, including several large stone monoliths that stood in a circle on one side of the clearing.

"Well, it wasn't the prettiest landing, but at least we made it mostly in one piece." Jack waited for a response from his Second and got none. "Carter?"

"Sir," she replied, her voice weak and thready.

Jack was out of his restraints in record time. He raised the hatch and cringed as shattered glass rained down around them. As soon as he was clear of the canopy, he leapt onto the wing and looked into the seat occupied by his Second. What he saw caused his breath to hitch.

Sam was still strapped into her seat, a large piece of broken glass lodged in her abdomen. She was covered in blood, and aside from her obvious wound, it was difficult to determine where it was all coming from. Her face was deathly pale and her eyes were glazed.

"Damn it, Carter. Stay with me," he spoke to her as he removed her helmet and unfastened her restraints. Once he had her free, he was uncertain what to do next. He needed to get her out of the plane to examine her wounds, but it was a long way down from the cockpit, and he was fresh out of airmen with tall ladders.

At that moment, Jack heard the unmistakable sounds of a large group of people moving toward them. "Get ready, Carter. Here comes the welcoming party."

Though Jack's initial instinct was to hide and observe before engaging the locals, he wasn't about to leave his Second behind. Plus, there was the possibility that they might be able to help her. Against his better nature, he opted for the direct approach.

"Hey, over here!" he yelled, waving one arm in the air.

A large group emerged from the forest, and upon seeing the imposing spacecraft and the tall man in the strange suit sitting on top, several immediately turned and ran, screaming, "The Morrigan! The Morrigan!" Others, however, stood where they were, trying to make sense of the scene before them.

"We need your help!" Jack pleaded. "My friend is hurt!"

The largest of the men spoke up. "Who are you? Where do you come from?"

"We're travelers, from another planet, called Earth. We had to crash land, and my friend was injured. I need to get her down."

"Are you one of the Morrigan's men?"

Jack squinted down at the man. "Who?" Instead of responding to Jack, the man faced the remaining members of the group, and they began talking amongst themselves. "Screw it," Jack muttered and turned his attention to his Major. "Carter, can you move?"

Her voice was no stronger than a whisper. "I'm not sure, sir."

Jack bent down and put his hands under her arms. "I'm going to pull you up, Carter. It's going to hurt like hell. I need you to try to push with your legs if you can."

"Yes, sir," she whispered.

"On three. One, two, three!" And with that he lifted her with all his strength, and she came free of the cockpit, crying out in pain when he laid her on the wing. "I'm sorry, Carter," he said softly, brushing her hair out of her face and letting his fingers trail down the side of her face.

"S'okay, sir," she replied, her face even paler than before.

"Aye!" The man's voice brought Jack's attention to the side of the plane. "Lower her down, and we'll catch her." Though Jack wasn't thrilled with the prospect of handing his Major over to this group of strangers, he couldn't see any alternative. Carefully, he put his arms under hers and lowered her down the wing of the plane to the men below. As soon as he handed her off, Jack slid down himself, wincing as the impact of the ground jarred his already injured knee.

Now that he was off the plane, Jack could fully appreciate the impressive size of the man currently holding Sam. A few inches taller than Jack, and twice as large, the man was a behemoth. Jack prayed that he was friendly. "I'll carry her," Jack said, using his best command voice.

The man simply laughed. "Don't be foolish. You are not in much better shape than she. Come, we will take her to see the Crone. She will know how to help her." The man took off toward the wood, with Sam in his arms. The others followed, including Jack, who again could see little alternative.


	3. The Crone

"Wait a second," Jack jogged as best he could to catch up to the large man. "Do you have a Stargate here? A Chappa'ai?"

"I do not understand. What is a Stargate?" he asked, without slowing his pace.

"Big ring of metal, like a circle? Big enough to walk through, lots of funny looking symbols on it?"

The man glanced at Jack. "I have never seen a ring of metal such as you describe, but there is the Fainnecloch." The man spat, then indicated the circle of stone monoliths near the downed X-302.

Jack swore under his breath when he saw where the man was pointing. Stonehenge wasn't going to cut it. It was looking less and less likely that they'd be contacting the Asgard anytime soon, much less going home. Assuming there was a home to go back to.

They continued to walk into the woods for another half hour, but Jack was growing impatient. He was extremely concerned for Sam. She hadn't moved or spoken since the large man began carrying her. On top of everything else, he was having a hard time keeping up with the group given his injured knee. In fact, his knee was screaming, but he wasn't about to admit that to the strangers.

He had been studying them carefully. The man carrying Sam seemed to be the leader; he was certainly the largest, and he reminded Jack a bit of Teal'c – if the Jaffa were fair with an unruly mass of brown hair and big, bushy beard. The other two, though not quite as big, were almost as tall, one with bright red hair and the other with dark hair, like the leader. All seemed to be in good health with no obvious problems with their appendages, Jack noted wryly.

Jack sighed. At first, he had been encouraged when all but these three had peeled off and gone in a different direction, but he now realized their fewer numbers made little difference. It was highly unlikely he would be able to overpower all of them if things went south, especially without any weapons. He would just have to trust these people and hope to hell they could help Sam.

"Hey, where are we going?" Jack yelled after the large man carrying Sam.

"I've told you," replied the large man. "We are taking her to the Crone. She is a healer and the only one who can save her now."

"What do you mean?" Jack felt a rush of panic and struggled to catch up to the man. He looked at Sam and had to stifle a gasp. Beneath the blood that seemed to be everywhere, she was deathly pale and clearly unconscious. "How close are we?"

"We are here," he replied.

At first, Jack didn't see anything but the forest. Upon closer inspection, however, he spotted what appeared to be a small house covered in foliage, as if the surrounding woods were slowing reclaiming the structure. The red headed man walked up to an oaken door that seemed to materialize from one moss covered side of the cottage and knocked soundly. Within moments, the door opened just a crack.

"Gytha, we need your help," said the leader.

Jack watched as an elderly woman emerged from the house. She was bent over so low, she almost touched the ground. Her hair was white and completely wild. Though she looked frail, her eyes were bright and sharp, one blue, the other brown.

"Who are these strangers you have brought to my home, Garrick?" she asked, peering closely at Sam's wound.

"They've come from the sky. Yet I do not think they are demons," the large man responded.

"No. No, they are not demons, though this one has been marked." She gestured toward Sam with a liver spotted hand.

Jack pushed his way to the front. "I've been told you can help her. She needs medical attention."

The old woman paused and stared at Jack for several seconds. She studied him carefully, looking him up and down, and Jack felt his skin crawl. Her assessment apparently made, she spoke. "Bring her inside. I will see what I can do."

Garrick stooped to enter the cottage, careful not to jostle Sam as he squeezed through the entry. When Jack attempted to follow, the Crone barred his way. "Only the woman," she said.

"Like hell," replied Jack, but as he moved to force his way inside, Garrick pushed him back out. Jack could just see Sam lying on a bed of some sort before the door was closed.

"The Crone does not allow others to observe her magic," Garrick stated.

At that moment, Jack saw an orange light emanating from the windows of the cottage, faint at first, then growing steadily brighter.

"Magic! What the hell is going on here?" Jack tried again to force his way into the cottage, but this time he was grabbed from behind. He quickly freed himself but was brought up short when Garrick and the red head unsheathed long daggers and blocked the entrance to the cottage.

Garrick spoke quickly. "Your woman is at death's door. This will not help her. Stand down, and let the Crone complete her work."

Jack knew a stalemate when he saw one. He sat down on the ground, and put his head in his hands.

This mission had been FUBAR from the very beginning. Not only had they not made it to Abydos, but there apparently wasn't a Stargate on this planet, or at least nowhere close, which meant they were unable to get the help for Earth they so desperately needed. And now he might have killed Sam, if not by virtue of his less than fancy flying, then certainly by handing her medical care over to some strange old woman who was planning to cure her by "magic."

God, what if she didn't make it? The thought made his blood run cold. He realized long ago that his feelings for his Second were much more...involved than they should be, and he wasn't sure he could live with himself if she didn't survive. If he had killed her. He let out a long breath and stopped that train of thought in its tracks. He'd already been down that road once, and it led nowhere good.

Garrick's voice interrupted his thoughts. "What is your name, stranger?"

He ran his hands through his hair and looked up. "Jack."

"And the woman?"

"Sam."

"Odd name, that."

Jack sighed. "Yeah, well, it's short for Samantha." A reluctant smile formed at the corners of his mouth. "But I call her Carter."

"I see," he replied slowly, though he clearly didn't. "She is your mate, no?"

Jack paused only for a moment before responding. "You could say that." The team had learned a long time ago that, when in doubt as to the standing of women in any given society, it was better to claim Sam was attached to one of them, if asked. Sam had initially resented the practice but soon appreciated that it avoided a lot of unnecessary attention from would be suitors, not to mention those with less honorable intentions.

The large man gestured to himself. "I am Garrick. This is Beldon and my brother, Thane," he said, as he indicated the red head first, then the dark haired man.

Jack looked around him. "So, Garrick, where are we? What is this place?"

"This is Cian, and I am sorry you have come here. It is...not a good place." He exchanged glances with his two companions.

"Yes, well, I guess it would have been too much to ask to crash land on a nice, temperate planet with lots of peaceful and happy locals..."

Jack's musings were interrupted when the door to the cottage opened, and the Crone emerged.

"I have done all that I can. Her wounds are healed, but she has lost much blood, perhaps more than can be replaced." With that, she turned and reentered the cottage.

Jack was on his feet quicker than his bad knee should have allowed. When he walked through the door, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dim light. He crossed the room toward Sam, who was lying, still unconscious, on the bed he'd seen earlier. He lifted the heavy blanket that was covering her and saw that she had been stripped to her skivvies, leaving most of her skin exposed. Amazingly, there wasn't a cut on her. Jack reached out to touch the smooth, pale skin of her abdomen where the glass had been embedded. At the last second, he remembered himself and stopped short.

"How did you do this?" He asked, trying to keep the awe out of his voice.

The Crone looked at him over her shoulder and gave him a knowing smile. "Your knee is injured, no?"

"A little, maybe," he replied cautiously.

"Then perhaps you will let me heal it." And as she turned to face him fully, Jack saw the glowing crystal of Goa'uld healing device radiating from the palm of her outstretched hand.


	4. Trapped

"What the hell?" Jack jumped up and lunged for the old woman, grabbing her around the neck and pinning her to the wall. "You're a _Goa'uld_." He ground out the word through clenched teeth as he began tightening his fingers.

"I am no demon," she spat. She clawed desperately at the hand around her neck.

"Sir," Sam whispered from the other side of the room.

Jack turned toward his Second, but kept his grip on the old woman's neck. "Carter?"

"No...symbiote." She was struggling to get the words out.

Jack eased the pressure on the woman's neck. "So, not a Goa'uld?"

"No, sir," she whispered.

Jack released the old woman, who began coughing but remained standing. She glared at him as he crossed the room to Sam's side.

"How're you feeling, Carter?" he asked her softly. He began to place a hand on her shoulder and thought better of it, resting it by her arm instead. Even light years from home, he was still hesitant to touch her.

"Tired, sir." She closed her eyes, then opened them again. "Stargate?"

"I'm afraid not. At least not that these people know about." A thought occurred to him, and he turned to the Crone. "Do you know if there's a Stargate on this planet?" Seeing her furrowed brow, he clarified. "A Chappa'ai?"

She huffed. "No, there is nothing like that here. We are all trapped. As are you." She smiled now, and Jack felt a chill go down his spine. "But here, let me help you." She moved toward Jack, the healing device starting to glow in her palm.

Jack backed away. "Uh, thanks, but I'll pass. Where did you get that thing, anyway?" Jack asked.

The woman clutched it to her chest, as if fearful Jack might take it from her. "I found it. It's mine. I've had it for many years."

Sam let out a moan. Jack looked at her and saw that she was shivering beneath the heavy blanket. She had apparently fallen back to sleep.

"Is she going to be okay?" he asked the Crone.

The old woman shrugged. "I've done all that I can for her. She will have to fight the rest of the battle on her own, though she is a strong one." She leaned closer to Jack and gave him wink. "Young and beautiful, too, eh?" And with that she began cackling, a sound that made Jack shudder.

In fact, the Crone and the cottage were starting to give Jack the heebie jeebies, so he was more than a little relieved to find that Garrick and the others had already fashioned a litter for Sam outside and were preparing to leave.

The men retrieved Sam and placed her on the litter. Garrick spoke to his brother. "Thane, run ahead and tell Brigid to prepare the lesser house. The strangers will be staying with us for now." Garrick and Beldon lifted the litter, shaking Jack off when he tried to take one end.

The Crone stood at her door, and Garrick gave her a nod. Jack turned to face her as well. "Thank you," he said. She had, after all, healed Sam, even if she was more than a little creepy.

"You are the chosen one, silver man," she replied cryptically. "You will lead us to our salvation."

"Okay," Jack muttered under his breath, drawing out the last syllable.

Garrick and Beldon took off through the wood carrying Sam, and Jack trailed behind. Once they were out of earshot of the Crone, he finally posed the question he'd wanted to ask since she'd first stepped out of the cottage. "What's with her?"

"She is an odd one, I'll grant you that," replied Garrick. "But she has been able to heal those thought beyond hope." He paused and glanced sideways at Jack. "Many are afraid of her. They believe her to be possessed. Most will only seek her help as a matter of last resort."

"And you? What do you think?" asked Jack.

"I think she is a victim of the Morrigan, just like the rest of us," Garrick replied.

Jack cocked his head. "Yeah, what the heck is the Morrigan, anyway?"

"Not what. Who. She is evil incarnate." He spat, as did Beldon. "A witch, who claims to be a goddess, and wears the skin of people like a cloak."

Jack lifted his chin. "Ah. That explains some things. We're familiar the type."

Garrick continued. "According to those who were present when it happened, the Morrigan took the Crone - Gytha, as she was known before - and held her for many years. At the time she was taken, Gytha was young and beautiful, the desire of every man in the village. But by the time she was returned to us, she was as you saw, old and broken and half mad. Still, during her time with the Morrigan, she learned her healing art, and it has been a blessing to our village in the years since, though few would admit so openly."

Jack considered his words. "And this Morrigan. Where is she now?"

"The Morrigan only visits Cian once a cycle to collect her tribute - the mineral we mine and..." Garrick hesitated.

Jack had a very bad feeling. "And what?"

"And those of our young she deems...worthy."

Crap, Jack thought, as they continued to walk through the never ending forest. Just what they needed. Another planet under the control of a megalomaniacal snake. Still, with the Goa'uld came ships, and if they were ever to get off this rock...

"Garrick," Jack asked. "Are there any ships here, like the one we came in, that can fly?"

The large man grunted. "Only when the witch appears. They're flown by her demons as a show of her power. When you arrived, many assumed that she had returned, though it is far too early for the next tribute."

"And when is that supposed to happen?"

Garrick was quiet for a while. "The Morrigan was here not twelve days ago."

Jack closed his eyes. He had no idea how long a cycle was on this planet, but based on experience, it was likely close to an Earth year. Damn it! No Stargate, no ships, and no chance of escape for a long time. Maybe Sam could figure out something with the X-302, though with a shattered canopy and no fuel, he doubted even she could pull a rabbit of out her hat this time.

Jack looked at his Second. She was still pale and seemed so small, carried between the two large men. His gut clenched, as he thought of how close he'd come to losing her. But she had stopped shivering now, and he could see the rise and fall of her chest beneath the blanket.

At that moment, the forest opened up to reveal rolling hills covered in green grass. Cows grazed in the field, and Jack could see a small stone house some distance away. If not for the low hanging clouds, the scene would have been idyllic.

As they approached the house, a short, round woman emerged. "Garrick!" she exclaimed. "I was worried." She gave him a look that was equal parts fondness and reprimand and then walked toward Jack, taking in his silver flight suit with raised eyebrows. "I am Brigid," she said to him. "And you will need some other clothes."

Jack let out a small laugh and realized it was the first time he had really smiled all day. "Jack," he replied. Now that they were closer, he noticed that she had striking blue eyes, brown hair, and a pretty face, marred only by a long scar that ran all the way from her left temple to her chin.

Brigid nodded at him and moved to examine Sam. "We should get her to bed. Bring her. It will be dark soon." And with that, she turned and walked around the house, the men following her without question. Jack smiled to himself. Though she was half Garrick's size, it was clear who was in charge in this household.

As they rounded the house, Jack saw a large garden and, just behind it, a wooden structure that reminded him instantly of a much smaller version of his cabin in Minnesota. The woman stopped on the porch of the tiny house and opened the door for her husband. Garrick lifted Sam off of the litter and walked inside, Jack close behind.

The cabin was one large room, containing only a table, two chairs, and small bed. It did, however, have a fireplace that had already been lit. The change in temperature was dramatic; Jack hadn't realized how cool and damp it had become outside.

Once Garrick had placed Sam in the bed, Brigid turned to Jack. "I have left some food and water on the table, as well as a change of clothes and some extra blankets. I will check on you and your woman tomorrow morning to see how she fared over the night. Until then, if you need anything, I will be in the main house."

As they turned to leave, Jack realized for the second time that day that he was indebted to complete strangers. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "Both of you."

The couple inclined their heads and walked out of the cabin, closing the door behind them. Before they were out of earshot, though, Jack heard Brigid speak.

"Garrick, these strangers – the prophecy…"

"Hush, woman." Garrick interrupted. "Not here."

Jack wondered about their conversation but decided to file it away for later consideration. His first priority was Sam. When he saw that she was still shivering a little, he put the extra blankets on top of her.

While she slept, he took the opportunity to change out of his flight suit and into the clothes Brigid had provided. He ate some of the bread and cheese she'd left and utilized the facilities, which unfortunately consisted of a bucket in the corner of the room. As he was washing up, he heard Sam stir.

"Sir?" she called to him quietly.

He knelt by the bed. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Thirsty," she replied, attempting to move.

"Stay there." He brought her some water and helped her sit up to drink it. "Do you want any food?" he asked. She shook her head, as she began drinking faster. "Easy, Major," he admonished her. "You don't want that coming back up."

When she was done, he eased her back down on the bed. "Where are we?" she asked.

Jack sighed. "Safe, I think. At least for now." After a moment, he added, "You scared me back there, Carter."

"Scared myself, sir," she mumbled in reply, as her eyes began to close. Just when Jack thought she had gone back to sleep, she spoke. "Sir?"

"Carter?"

"I'm cold."

Jack looked around the room, but there were no more blankets and the fire was already burning brightly. He knew what he needed to do, but he hesitated, not because he didn't want to do it – but because he did.

He admonished himself inwardly for his hesitation; his subordinate needed his help, and that was all there was to it. He pulled back the blankets and climbed into the small bed with Sam. She rolled onto her side, and he held her from behind, wrapping an arm around her waist. She let out a contented sigh as she snuggled up against him.

As her breathing evened out, Jack reminded himself that she was just another soldier under his command. But as he started to drift off to sleep himself, he distinctly heard his conscience mutter, "Bullshit."


	5. Demons

Damn, if Jack wasn't having the best dream. He was lying in bed with Samantha Carter curled around him. She was wearing nothing but her underwear. Her arm was across his stomach, and her head was on his chest. His nose was buried in her blond hair, and it smelled exactly like rosemary and mint. He was just about to roll her onto her back and have his wicked way with her, when a faint noise caused him to wake instantly.

He sat up and realized three things at once: first, he really was in bed with his half-naked subordinate; second, someone was coming; and third, he was in no state to greet anyone at the moment. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and wrapped one of the blankets around his lower torso, just in time for the door to open.

"Hello?" Brigid poked her head into the cabin. "Ah, Jack, you're up."

"Yes, yes I am," he replied, acerbically.

Brigid held up a basket. "I've brought you some breakfast." She set it down on the table. "How is your wife?"

Jack twisted around to look at Sam. She was still lying on her side facing him and appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Her color had returned; in fact, her cheeks looked slightly flushed.

Jack turned back to face Brigid. "Much better this morning, thanks."

"Good. Well, then, once you've had breakfast, come up to house and we can discuss what to do about you."

Jack raised his eyebrows, but Brigid was already walking out the door.

"Wife?" asked Sam, as soon as she had gone. Jack twisted around again and saw Sam in the same position as before, but her eyes were now open and she had a small smile on her face.

"Standard protocol, Major," he retorted. "Wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea about you. You never know what the locals might think about a woman traipsing all around the galaxy unattached." He grinned at her, enjoying pushing her buttons.

"Thank you, Daniel," she said wryly, and he looked at her with mock indignation.

His expression turned serious. "How're you feeling this morning, Carter?"

She sat up, and Jack averted his eyes as the blanket fell away from her nearly bare chest. She pulled it up again quickly. "Fine, sir, though I could really use the facilities."

Jack's smirk returned. "Yes, well, I've got some bad news about that."

After they had dressed, they sat down at the table and ate the breakfast that Brigid had provided. It was surprisingly good, consisting of hard boiled eggs, more cheese, and some sort of sweet bread that Sam thought almost made up for the fact that she had to wear a skirt.

Jack took the opportunity to bring her up to speed on what he had learned so far about Cian, including that it was apparently under the control of an unfamiliar Goa'uld who wasn't due to return for another year.

"So," he concluded, "while I think we should keep looking for a Stargate or some other means of transportation, it's possible that the only way we're getting off the planet is to wait for this Morrigan and try to take one of her ships. Unless, of course, you think you can do something with what's left with the X-302." He looked at her expectantly.

She sighed. "Even if I could fix it somehow, we don't have any fuel. Plus, with an unstable hyperdrive, it would be nearly impossible to navigate." She shook her head and looked down at her hands.

She was quiet for several seconds. "Carter?"

"I'm sorry, sir," she said, still looking at her hands. "This is all my fault. I should have realized the naquadria was too unstable. I…"

"Hey," he interrupted her, his voice soft. "We knew this was a long shot from the beginning."

She raised her face to meet his gaze, and he was surprised to see tears in her eyes. "And what about Earth?" she asked quietly. "It's probably only a matter of hours before the Stargate explodes, if it hasn't already."

"I'm sure they figured something out, Carter." He grinned at her. "I hear that McKay guy's pretty smart."

At that, she let out a small laugh and wiped her face. "Okay. I think it would be worth taking a look at the X-302. Even if I can't fix it, there are some things that would be worth salvaging, like the radio."

The matter decided, they made their way to the main house through the early morning fog. Brigid and Garrick were both there, along with their twins, Piper and Dax, who Jack figured were somewhere around ten years old. After introductions were made, Jack asked Garrick how to get back to the X-302, and Sam asked Brigid for some pants. It was a toss up as to which request was met with more resistance.

"The demons will no doubt have found your ship by now," said Garrick.

"Demons?" asked Jack. He shot Sam a sideways look.

Garrick nodded. "Aye. The Morrigan keeps a handful of her demons here to make sure we don't cause any trouble while she's away. They leave us alone, for the most part, but it is better to avoid them whenever possible. They can be cruel if provoked."

"Look, Garrick," Jack pleaded, "we really need to get to our ship. Carter and I can deal with the…demons, if we run across them."

It finally took Jack and Sam threatening to search for the X-302 by themselves before Garrick agreed to show them the way. Likewise, Sam only got her pants after she explained that it would be difficult to fight demons in a skirt.

By the time they started out, it was late morning, and the fog that had rolled in overnight had burned off. Because they were hiking directly to the plane, they were able to keep primarily to open spaces rather than walking through the forest.

As they drew closer to the sight of the crash, their elevation increased, giving them a great view of the rolling green hills below and a glimpse of water in the distance. The day was cool, bright, and sunny, and between the weather and the beautiful view, Jack and Sam felt their spirits lift somewhat. Jack even thought his knee felt a little better.

Unfortunately, their good mood was short lived. When they arrived at the site of the X-302, they discovered that the plane had been ravaged. Sam, having been lifted onto the wing by Garrick, let out a groan when she looked into the cockpit. "It's all been torn out, sir. The radio, navigation, everything. Even our helmets are gone."

Jack sighed. "All right, Carter. Come on back down."

Sam slid down the wing, and Jack caught her at the bottom with his hands on her hips. She stood there for a moment, resting her hands on his chest, and cocked her head, as if listening. Garrick was watching her closely.

"Carter?" Jack asked after a few seconds.

Sam looked up at him. "Sir, I sense something."

"Goa'uld?"

She nodded, and Jack made his way quickly and quietly to the tree line, gesturing for Sam and Garrick to follow him. From their vantage point, they could see five men approaching from the same direction they had come. As they neared, Jack could just make out what looked like some kind of bird tattooed on their foreheads. All three spoke at once.

"Crap," Jack swore.

"Jaffa," said Sam.

"Demons," spat Garrick. "It would be better if we were not caught here."

"Right," replied Jack. "Follow me. We'll go around."

Jack made his way along the edge of the forest, keeping just out of sight of the plane. His plan was to make a wide circle around the Jaffa and head back in the direction of Garrick's house, using the trees as cover, as much as possible. He was almost halfway around when Garrick stopped.

"We cannot go this direction," he said.

"Why not?" asked Jack, clearly irritated.

"The Fainnecloch," replied Garrick, pointing at the ring of stone monoliths, which lay directly in their path. "It is cursed. I will not go there."

"For crying out loud," muttered Jack, but Garrick refused to budge. "Fine. We'll go the long way, then."

They turned around and headed in the opposite direction, retracing their steps toward the X-302. When they drew closer to the plane, they saw that the Jaffa had begun stripping the metal off the wings.

"Guess we're not getting back to Earth that way," Jack whispered to Sam. She just shook her head.

After several more minutes of walking, Jack decided they were far enough away from the Jaffa to leave the trees. As they headed toward the house, Jack began questioning Garrick.

"How many Jaffa...uh, demons would you say are here?"

Garrick thought for a moment. "Not many. Perhaps twenty, plus their leader."

"That's it?" Jack was incredulous. "How many people live in your village?"

"Several hundred."

Jack stopped walking and simply stared at Garrick. "Certainly with that many, you could easily overpower them."

Garrick stopped as well and turned to face Jack. "Our people tried that once, many years ago. They were successful in overwhelming the demons, but when the Morrigan arrived, she punished the village by killing every child under the age of 15 years, tortured them to death as their parents watched. She warned us that if we were ever to defy her again, she would not be so merciful."

Garrick continued walking, while Jack and Sam looked at one another in horror. Jack screwed up his face and pursued the large man. "You said she still takes your children as tribute."

"Aye, but she only takes one or two each cycle, sometimes none, if she does not consider any worthy of her attention. It is a heavy price to pay, but it is better than having an entire generation slaughtered."

The three walked in silence for awhile, each lost in their own thoughts. Though the day was still sunny, the mood of the party had grown decidedly dim. Sam considered what Garrick had told them and realized that she had some questions of her own.

"Garrick," she asked, "you said the demons have a leader?"

"Dagda." He spat. "He is nearly as evil as the Morrigan herself, no doubt selected by her to lord over us for that very reason." He looked pointedly at Sam. "You would be wise to stay far away from him."

"Is he a demon, too?" she asked.

"Aye," he replied, "but unlike the others, he seems to take special pleasure in inflicting pain and suffering. He is renowned for his voracious appetite - for food and mead, certainly, but especially for women. He simply takes what he wants. Those who resist him are punished severely. Fortunately, he is lazy and tends to keep to the castle."

"There's a castle?" asked Jack.

"An ancient structure on a hill overlooking the lake. Legend has it that a king lived there at one time and ruled this land from his throne of power. But if ever there were such a king, he is long dead. Only Dagda and his demons live there now."

"This place just gets better and better," Jack muttered.

They walked the rest of the way back to Garrick's house in silence. By the time they arrived, it was late afternoon, but Brigid had food and beer waiting, which went a long way toward improving their dispositions.

They spent the rest of the evening discussing their living arrangements. It was decided that, for the time being, Jack and Sam would stay in the cabin and help Garrick and Brigid with their work in exchange for room and board. Jack would accompany Garrick to the mine the following day, while Sam would help Brigid with the farm.

Later that night, once they were alone in their cabin, Jack and Sam continued the conversation. While they weren't particularly happy about their respective duties, they agreed that working with Garrick and Brigid would enable them to collect further information about the village, information that might be useful in developing a strategy for leaving the planet. Once that was resolved, they decided they should go to sleep, as Garrick had promised it would be an early morning.

"So." Jack looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Small bed."

Sam shrugged. "It'll sleep two."

"Barely," he replied.

"It did last night."

Jack responded without thinking. "Yeah, but you needed me last night." Sam blushed crimson. Jack closed his eyes and swore silently when he realized what he'd said. He tried again. "I mean, you don't need me now." He shook his head. "Not me, my body. You don't need my body. I mean...ack! Just take the bed, Carter."

She tried to suppress a grin. "But where are you going to sleep?"

"Plenty of room on the floor." He made a sweeping gesture.

She snorted. "Right. Look, it's not the first time we've shared close quarters. Plus, we're supposed to be married, remember? What would Brigid say if she walked in on us tomorrow and you were sleeping on the floor? People would talk."

Jack raised one eyebrow at her in a fair imitation of Teal'c. "So you're concerned about people talking about us _not_ sleeping together?"

She gave a nod. "Precisely."

"Well, that's a switch." Sam laughed out loud. Jack sighed. "All right, Carter, but you should know that I'm a blanket hog."

"I'll take my chances, sir." She grinned and crawled into the bed. Jack got in after her. They both flipped on their sides, facing away from each other.

After a few moments, Sam spoke. "Sir?"

"Carter?"

"I'm really glad you're here."

Jack waited a moment, then replied, "I'm glad you're here, too. Now get some sleep, Major."

"Yes, sir," she said and closed her eyes.


	6. The Prophecy

Jack woke just before dawn to discover that he was intimately intertwined with his Second, again. He sighed. It wasn't as if they hadn't made a valiant attempt to keep a respectful distance when they went to sleep. But somehow they had found each other during the night, and amazingly, he had slept soundly despite the fact that they were now twisted together like a pretzel. He knew it was a serious breach of decorum to share a bed with his subordinate and that as her commanding officer he should extricate himself immediately from her embrace. But damn it, he didn't want to move, at least not yet.

They were light years away from home, on a strange planet, with only a slim chance of ever returning. Who could blame him for taking refuge in this small comfort? So he indulged himself for a moment longer while trying to ignore the fact that she still smelled good...that she made a cute noise when she slept, something between a sigh and snore...that her soft curves molded perfectly to the hard planes of his body...

Okay, he thought, time to get up. Now.

"Carter," he whispered. He shook her a little. "Carter!"

She jerked awake, and it took a minute for her to register her surroundings. When she realized her position, she gasped and pulled away from him immediately. "Sorry, sir," she said quickly, her voice still rough with sleep.

Jack considered making a sarcastic comment and thought better of it. He got out of bed instead. "Come on, Carter. Time to get the lay of the land."

"Yes, sir," she yawned.

oOoOoOo

Jack followed Garrick through the early morning fog toward the site of mine. During the trip, Garrick explained how the villagers worked.

"Each man is required to labor in the mine. We work from sun up to sun down, six days on, six days off. Shifts are staggered so that there is always someone there."

Jack was a little surprised. "I have been to planets where the people are forced to work without a break."

Garrick shrugged. "The demons required us to labor that way at first. They quickly realized that it was not productive to work us to death." He glanced at Jack. "But make no mistake, working in the mine is unpleasant on the best of days."

Though Jack was fairly certain he already knew the answer, he asked anyway. "And what, exactly, do you mine?"

"A mineral, greatly desired by the Morrigan, that can be melted and formed for her purposes."

Jack frowned. "And you do this all for her?"

"Aye, failure to produce the required amount of the mineral for the Morrigan's tribute results in punishment. She has been known to kill a hundred people when we've failed to meet her targets." Garrick sighed. "Unfortunately, the mine is being depleted. It is becoming increasingly difficult - and dangerous - to collect the mineral in sufficient quantities. Still, the Morrigan insists that we produce more and more each cycle."

"Great," muttered Jack.

As they approached the site of the mine, they met several other villagers whom Garrick introduced to Jack. All knew immediately that he was the man who had arrived in the crashed spaceship, and they treated him with a wary curiosity.

The mine itself was nothing more than a great, gaping hole in the side of a hill. Men walked into it pushing wheeled carts or carrying pickaxes. The few carts coming out were filled with a dark metallic substance that Jack recognized immediately as naquada.

As Jack entered the mine with Garrick, he passed by two Jaffa standing guard. He noticed that at least one had a pain stick.

"So, what do they do?" he asked Garrick once inside, inclining his head in the Jaffas' direction.

"They keep watch on the mining activities for Dagda and provide...motivation when they deem it necessary," he replied.

Jack did not care for the way that sounded one bit.

oOoOoOo

"It's a good thing you arrived during the growing season, Samantha," Brigid said as they walked toward a large structure that Sam assumed was the barn.

"Please, call me Sam." Brigid was almost as resistant to using Sam's nickname as she was to providing Sam with pants. Another battle had raged on that topic this morning when she had arrived at the main house wearing a pair intended for Jack.

"Fine, _Sam_ ," she replied, although it was clear from her tone it was anything but. "It's just that you are such a pretty woman. I can't understand why you want to act like a man." She huffed and handed Sam a basket. "As I was saying, you are fortunate that we don't have any more planting to do. Backbreaking work, that!"

"Yes, fortunate," Sam echoed, stepping over some goat droppings.

Brigid gestured to a chicken coop. "If you'll collect the eggs, I'll feed the pigs. Then we'll milk the goats."

Sam looked up at her, startled. "Wait, we're milking goats? What about cows? I thought you milked cows."

"We lost our milk cow last season," Brigid said sadly. "Now we make do with the goats." Brigid disappeared into the barn, as Sam stared after her with raised brows.

Sam worked side by side with Brigid for the remainder of the morning, learning all about life on a farm. Brigid, for her part, was a patient teacher, though she found it difficult to believe that Sam didn't know anything about farming, sewing, cleaning or cooking.

"I just don't understand how you managed your home," she said for the umpteenth time, as they took a break for the midday meal. "Doesn't Jack get frustrated with you?" She paused and gave Sam a sly look. "But then I suppose you please him in other ways." Brigid gave her a wink, as Sam choked on her drink.

Brigid was then quiet for a while, her mood becoming serious. "You are very beautiful, Samantha. But you must be careful. Your look can attract the wrong kind of attention." As she spoke, she ran her fingers down the scar on the side of her face.

"What happened?" asked Sam softly, indicating Brigid's scar.

Brigid stared at a spot somewhere over Sam's shoulder. "This? This was done by my father when I was a child, when he suspected I would grow to be fair. It was a common practice at the time, an attempt to prevent the Morrigan from taking attractive children as tribute." She looked down at her hands. "But the Morrigan put a stop to it."

Sam wasn't certain she wanted to know the answer to the question she felt compelled to ask. "How?"

Brigid kept her eyes on her lap. "She killed all of the small children who were so scarred. The older she gave to Dagda to use as he saw fit. My younger sister was put to death." She paused for several seconds. "I served at the castle for many years."

Sam felt ill. "I'm so sorry, Brigid." She reached over and clasped her hands.

Brigid looked up and wiped away her tears, her face determined. "Yes, well, that was a long time ago. I've since been blessed with a wonderful family and will spend the rest of my days doing everything I can to keep them happy and safe."

oOoOoOo

"I'd forgotten how much I hate mining," Jack grunted as he swung the pickaxe. They had been working for four hours straight without a break. There were only a handful of Jaffa that Jack could see in the mine, but they didn't hesitate to use the pain stick on anyone they thought wasn't working hard enough.

As one of the men nearby was treated to such punishment, Jack glanced at Garrick. "How can you put up with this?" he asked in a low voice. When he got no response, he continued. "Garrick, there are many of you and only a few of them. You are strong. You could easily overtake them."

Garrick turned on him, his voice low and angry. "I've told you. We tried that once already. The Morrigan killed our _children_. Even if we defeated the demons, she would exact her vengeance when she returns. A few months of freedom is not worth the price we would ultimately pay."

Jack leaned in conspiratorially toward the large man. "We could help you defeat her, too."

Garrick huffed as he swung his pickaxe. "Who? You and your woman? You believe you can defeat a witch? She is more powerful than you know."

"We've done it before, Garrick, many times." Jack looked around. "Carter and I are military. We're trained for this kind of thing. And we can train you and your people to fight her."

Garrick stopped mid swing and stared at Jack. "You are warriors?" Jack nodded. "Your woman, as well?" Jack nodded again and thought he saw something that looked like hope in Garrick's eyes. But it was gone almost as soon as it appeared, like a candle being snuffed.

Garrick continued to swing his axe. "You should mind your words, Jack. Dagda has spies everywhere - some who profess to be believers, but most just hoping for favorable treatment from the Morrigan and her demons."

"Garrick..." Jack began.

The large man dropped his axe and grabbed Jack's arm, staring at him with an intensity that surprised the military man. "If word of what you are suggesting got around...For even minor indiscretions, Jack, it's the family that pays the price." He looked over his shoulder. "Abandon this idea of rebellion. If you love your wife, you must do everything you can to protect her."

oOoOoOo

Brigid and Sam walked along a path toward the heart of Cian's marketplace. Brigid had decided that she needed some things from the merchants in town, which was fine by Sam who was anxious to see the layout of the village.

As they rounded a small hill, Sam's breath caught. Ahead of her sprawled a bustling medieval town. Merchants called to passers by from their shops and everywhere people milled about. Some had wagons pulled by mules or horses, but most were on foot.

As they made their way toward the center of the market, many stopped and stared at Sam. A few Brigid introduced to her. Sam was immediately grateful that Brigid had convinced her to abandon her pants in favor of a skirt for the trip into town. With her short, blond hair she stood out quite a bit already.

As they wandered from shop to shop, Brigid delighted in telling Sam all about the people they encountered. Ultimately, though, the conversation turned more personal.

"So how is it that you and Jack came to be married?" Brigid asked, looking through large pieces of woven woolen fabic.

Sam was completely unprepared for this line of questioning. "We, uh, worked together, and one thing lead to another...It all happened quite quickly, actually."

"Oh, I can imagine. He is extremely handsome. A bit older, too, though it is never a bad thing to be wed to a man of experience." She looked knowingly at Sam, who flushed. "So your father did not arrange the marriage then?"

At that, Sam laughed out loud. "Uh, no. My father has been traveling for quite awhile now and doesn't know that we are married. He would be quite shocked, actually." That, Sam thought, was the understatement of the year.

"I hope you don't think I'm prying," Brigid continued without a trace of concern in her voice, "but I have to ask. Why is it that Jack calls you 'Carter?'"

Sam had to think about that one for a minute. "Um, it is - was - my last name, before we were married. It's a kind of nickname he has for me."

"Uh huh. And why do you call him 'sir?' Is that sort of thing expected where you're from?" Brigid was frowning now.

"Oh, no. It's...a term of endearment." The answers were coming more easily now, Sam thought, relieved.

"I see," she said skeptically. "So, do you have any children?"

"No, no children," she said quickly.

"Well, don't worry." She patted Sam on the arm and gave her a warm smile. "I'm sure it will happen soon enough for the two of you." At that, Brigid moved on to the next merchant, leaving Sam to stare after her. Though she didn't want to admit it, the thought of having children with Jack gave Sam a funny, tingly feeling.

When she walked out the door of the shop, however, she got a completely different kind of feeling, one that indicated a symbiote was nearby. She spotted Brigid and hurried over to her.

"We should leave," she said quickly and quietly. She had no desire to engage the Jaffa, at least not yet.

Brigid looked like she might protest but upon seeing Sam's face asked, "Why?"

"Demons. They're coming." Her tone was more urgent now.

"Demons? Here, in town, in the middle of the day? That is most unusual. How do you know?"

"I can sense them, Brigid." Sam replied. "Now let's go!"

Sam pulled Brigid along the path leading back toward her home. Suddenly, without warning, she pushed her into the open doorway of a shop and turned to shush the merchant. Both women peeked around the edge of the opening and saw two Jaffa questioning a man and woman in the street.

Sam turned to the merchant. "Do you have a back way out of here?"

The man held aside a curtain that led to a rear passageway. Sam shot him a grateful look and pulled Brigid out of the building and over the hills, toward the farm.

oOoOoOo

"They're definitely mining naquada." Jack spoke from behind the curtain that Brigid had helped Sam hang to section off the "bathroom" from the rest of the cabin. He was currently enjoying the new wooden tub she had provided as well. "Oh, that's good," he moaned, as he let warm water run down his back.

Sam smiled. "Make sure to get behind your ears." She had already taken her bath and had found the experience equally heavenly.

"Oh yeah. I'm planning on getting _everywhere_ ," he replied.

Sam suppressed a giggle before turning the conversation back to the debrief. "There were a couple of Jaffa in the market today."

"Yeah, there were a couple in the mine, too. Mean ones. Seemed to like their pain sticks an awful lot."

Sam furrowed her brow. "You didn't...?"

"No, believe it or not, Carter, I managed to avoid the pain stick today. But there were others who weren't so lucky." He paused. "I just don't get it. I know this Morrigan is bad news, but you would think some of these people would be fed up with the abuse and try to fight back."

Sam sighed. "They're worried about their families, sir." She had already filled him in on her conversation with Brigid.

"Yeah, I got that message loud and clear from Garrick, too. I think we may be on our own when it comes time to take on the snake, so we should probably start working on our plan with that in mind."

"Yes, sir," Sam replied. "Oh! That reminds me." She hesitated, unsure of the best way to approach the subject.

"Carter?"

She decided to just go for it. "We may need to think about how we address each other. Brigid was giving me the third degree today about calling you 'sir' and you referring to me as 'Carter.'"

Jack thought about that for a moment. He had always been careful to call his Second by her last name. It was a means of trying to keep some distance between them, a distance that he struggled to maintain at times. Still, he had to admit that it didn't make a lot of sense for a married couple to refer to each other like that, and if they were going to maintain this facade...

"All right, Carter, Jack and Sam it is, then."

She let out the breath she'd been holding. "Yes, sir, er, Jack."

"Gonna take some getting used to?"

She smiled. "Yes, sir."

oOoOoOo

"I like Jack, but his persistance concerns me," Garrick said to his wife as they finished their dinner. "I fear that he will incite rebellion amongst the villagers."

"But, Garrick, what if these people are the ones?" Brigid pleaded with her husband.

Garrick shook his head. "We cannot take that chance! You know what happened last time."

"But today, in the market, Samantha _knew_ the demons were coming before they arrived. She said she _sensed_ them."

"Aye, I saw her do the same thing when we were at their ship." He held up his hand to cut off his wife's protests. "I will grant you that they do seem to fit the prophecy." He paused, considering whether he should tell his wife what else he had discovered. It occurred to him that she would likely find out anyway. He took a deep breath. "Jack told me today that they are warriors on their world."

Brigid gasped. "Garrick..."

"You must keep this to yourself, Brigid! At least until we know more. The last thing we want is for people to develop false hope or take foolish chances."

She simply nodded in response.

Later that night, though, Brigid pulled out the book she kept on the bottom shelf of her closet, under the heavy winter blankets. She turned to the last page and read the inscription written there by her grandfather, the same grandfather who had promised her that one day they would defeat the Morrigan.

_Travelers from a distant land_

_Their journey hereto yet unplanned_

_One sees the blight without her eyes_

_One sits the throne and rules the skies_

_Warriors both, their fight is just_

_To them your fate you shall entrust_


	7. Near Miss

Dagda sat at the large table and watched with appreciative interest as the pretty young woman brought in a huge platter filled with roasted pork and apples and set it before him. As she bent to remove the cover, he placed his hand on her backside and gave it a squeeze. She gasped and flushed from her cheeks all the way down into her low cut and well-filled bodice. He smirked. She was new, and he was so going to enjoy...acclimating her to service in the castle. She scurried off, and he tucked into his meal with gusto. He had only taken his second bite, when Mar'tek, the closest thing he had to first prime, entered the dining room.

He sighed and spoke with his mouth full of food. "What is it, Mar'tek?"

"My Lord," the Jaffa replied, "I regret to inform you that our contact has reported yet again that the newcomers have been questioning your rule. They are gaining supporters. It would seem that a growing number of villagers now believe that they are the embodiment of some prophecy."

Dagda brought his sizable fist down on the table, sending his plate flying. "I knew they would be trouble!"

Mar'tek inwardly rolled his eyes. He absolutely detested Dagda and could not fathom how his mistress could abide him. The Goa'uld was a study in excess, motivated by only two things: his next meal and his next lay. Mar'tek had warned him three months ago when the strangers first arrived that they would cause problems. But Dadga had thus far shown little interest in addressing the issue.

"Shall we remove them, my Lord?"

"Yes," Dagda replied. He thought for a moment. "Wait. The woman. I have heard that she is quite beautiful, no?"

Mar'tek sighed. "She is indeed attractive, my Lord."

"It would be a shame to waste such beauty when she could service me in the castle. Take out the man, and bring the woman to me. And Mar'tek..."

"My Lord?"

"Make it look like an accident. We don't need to give the rabble any more reason to resent me. As you know, our hold on this planet is tenuous at best. Better to have them think that the newcomer's death was nothing more than unfortunate happenstance."

"Yes, my Lord," Mar'tek replied.

He had to acknowledge that Dagda had a point. They were in a precarious position. There were too few of them to hold off a full-fledged rebellion. The only thing that kept the locals in line was fear of the Morrigan. Pushed too far, however, and even that might not be sufficient.

oOoOoOo

Jack walked into the mine with Garrick and Thane, his pickaxe resting on his shoulder. As had become his routine over the last few months, he gave a lazy salute to the two Jaffa standing guard at the entrance, and they completely ignored him.

Though he despised working in the mine, it provided the perfect opportunity to assess the willingness of the villagers to challenge Dagda and his "demons," and ultimately the Morrigan. Most were too scared to commit to a fight but many were at least interested in listening to what Jack had to say, and a handful had even agreed to help Sam and him when the time came. In fact, that number seemed to be growing every day. He suspected it had something to do with some crazy prophecy Sam had told him about. Whatever the reason, though, Jack was glad to see that at least some of the villagers weren't completely resistant to the idea of rebellion.

While having given up trying to dissuade Jack from attempting to recruit the villagers to his cause, Garrick was still unhappy about it, especially since his brother Thane was now a convert. So, any time the topic came up, Garrick was quick to extricate himself from the conversation. It was for that reason he left to go in search of water when Jack and Thane began discussing a strategy for attacking Dagda.

The men had been working in the very back of the mine, in a small area that was accessible only through a narrow tunnel off the main cavern. Jack preferred such remote places because they were out of earshot of the Jaffa. However, they could not have been in a worse location when, immediately after Garrick left, Jack heard a great cracking noise.

"Oh crap," he swore, as the roof of the mine came down around them.

oOoOoOo

Sam and Brigid were just making their way back to the house from the barn when they heard the sound of hooves on the trail leading to the farm.

"Brigid! Sam!" called Wynnfreth, one of their neighbors, as she rode up on a cart pulled by a horse. Sam could tell by the look on the woman's face that the news was not good. "There's been an accident. At the mine." Brigid's face lost all color. "Get in. I'll take you there."

oOoOoOo

The scene at the mine was chaotic. Several men were either lying in the grass or hunched over coughing, while others were trying to help the injured. A few were still stumbling out of the entrance, dragging or carrying their fellow miners with them. By now, assorted family members had arrived and were either tending to their loved ones or frantically searching for them. The sounds of relief mixed evenly with the sounds of despair.

Sam scanned the crowd for Jack but realized with a growing sense of alarm that he wasn't there. Just as she was about the ask a group of men if they knew where he was, she heard Brigid cry out her husband's name and turned to see the large man stumble out of the mine. Brigid ran to him, as he bent over with his hands on his knees and began coughing.

Sam walked up to the couple slowly, her eyes on Garrick, who was now looking up at her. He was already shaking his head, but she asked anyway. "Jack?"

"I'm sorry, Sam," he replied, his voice rough. "He was further in than I was." He shot a look at his wife, then returned his gaze to Sam. "He and Thane." He shook his head again. "They didn't make it out."

Sam stood there in shock for a moment, then steeled herself and began heading toward the entrance of the mine. She could hear various protests as her intentions became clear, but it was as if the sounds were coming to her from under water. A couple of the men tried to physically restrain her, but she dispatched them easily. She was focused on her mission, and no one was going to stop her from rescuing Jack.

Suddenly, Sam felt someone grab her from behind and lift her off the ground. She fought as hard as she could, but it was no use. The man was too big. "Let go of me!" she screamed. "I can get to him! I can save him!"

Garrick yelled back, "No, you can't!"

"I can!" She continued to struggle against the large man.

"He's gone, Sam," he said, his voice softer now, and with that, all of the fight left her.

Garrick set her down gently, and she stood completely still, her eyes unfocused, as the enormity of the situation hit her. "Oh god," she mumbled. He couldn't be gone, she thought. There was too much still unresolved between them. There were too many things they had never said. Too many opportunities missed. During all those years she had spent loving him from afar, she had survived on the notion that they would always have some day. But now that some day was gone. She closed her eyes and put her head in her hands.

Jack!" she heard someone yell. Her head whipped up, and she looked toward the entrance of the mine.

And there he was, covered in dirt from head to toe, emerging from the black hole with Thane slung in a firemen's carry over his shoulders. Sam couldn't do anything but stand and watch for a full minute, as someone rushed up to take Thane from him.

Jack's eyes searched the crowd and finally locked on hers. Sam felt her heart leap into her throat, and before she knew what she was doing, she ran toward him and threw herself into his arms, great sobs coming from her chest.

"Hey," he said to her softly, as he enclosed her in his embrace. "Hey, Sam. It's okay. I'm okay."

She didn't say anything for awhile, and he continued to hold her until she got her crying under control. Finally she spoke. "They told me you were dead," she said in a whisper.

"You know it takes a lot more than a little dirt to kill me," he said directly into her ear.

She let out something between a laugh and a cry. He pulled back a little to look at her. He held her face in his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away the tears that continued to stream down her cheeks, leaving long dark smudges under her eyes. He furrowed his brow at her. "Sam?"

All at once, she remembered who she was - who they were. God, every inappropriate feeling she'd ever had for her commanding officer had just been on display for him to see. What was wrong with her? She pulled away from him. "Sorry, sir, I...I don't know what came over me." She backed away as others began to swarm around him.

"Sam!" he called to her as she moved further away, but he was now surrounded by Thane's family and friends, all anxious to thank him for saving the man's life.

oOoOoOo

He didn't see her again until much later that evening. He had just bathed and dressed when she walked into their cabin carrying what appeared to be a rudimentary first aid kit.

"Please tell me you're not channeling Fraiser," he groaned.

She smiled. "No needles. But you're pretty banged up, so Brigid gave me something to clean your cuts."

She patted the table, and he hopped on top. Stepping between his legs, she began dabbing the cuts on his face with a cloth dipped in alcohol. Jack winced. "Ow."

But Sam was undeterred. Jack followed her eyes as she worked, but she refused to meet his. As she was tending to the side of his face, he gently grabbed her wrist, and she finally looked at him.

"You're mad," he said simply.

She shook her head. "I'm not mad, Jack," she said softly.

He put his hand on the side of her face. "What's this about?"

She stared at his chest and didn't say anything for several seconds. "I can't..." She took a deep breath. "I don't think I can do this without you." She finally looked up at him.

He slid off the table and stood in front of her, continuing to hold her face. His thumb brushed away a tear that had escaped from the corner of her eye. "Sam," he said, his voice a whisper. He looked from her eyes to her lips and back again.

She knew then that he was going to kiss her, and she was powerless to resist him. But then, she didn't want to resist him. Oh god, she wanted this; she wanted _him_ , had always wanted him. She had realized as much earlier today. Her fingers grasped the front of his shirt, and she closed her eyes as he lowered his lips to hers.

"Dinner!" Brigid practically sang as she walked in the door. Jack and Sam jerked apart. "Oh!" Brigid exclaimed, taking in their proximity and seeing that she must have interrupted an intimate moment. She gave them a knowing smile. "I'll just set this here," she said as she placed the food on the table. "For whenever you're ready." She winked, then turned and made her way quickly out of the cabin.

"That woman has really got to learn to knock," Jack muttered.

He looked at Sam and sighed. Damn, he'd almost kissed her. And as much as he wanted to, as often as he'd thought about it lately, that would have been taking advantage of her in the worst possible way. He was fairly certain she didn't feel that way about him, at least not anymore. No, he knew she just didn't want to be left on a strange planet all by herself. He took a deep breath and decided it was time to exercise his favorite tactic when his feelings got too close to the surface: avoidance.

He inclined his head toward the table. "Hungry?"

Sam smiled. "Starving," she replied, and tried not to let her disappointment show.

Later that night, Jack stretched out on the small bed beside Sam. Before he could turn on his side, though, she snaked her arm around his waist and put her head on his chest. He looked down at her and raised his eyebrows. "We're just going to wind up like this anyway," she said.

"True," he replied, and he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. He closed his eyes, exhausted, and decided to file this latest breach of decorum away for later consideration.

She was quiet for a long time. Then she whispered, "Don't leave me, Jack."

He gave her a squeeze. "Never," he whispered back.


	8. Revelations

Jack grunted. "Okay, so the only problem I see with our plan is how we're going to get aboard the Morrigan's mother ship."

Jack, Sam, Thane, and about fifteen other villagers had begun meeting regularly at Thane's house to devise a plan for defeating Dagda and the Morrigan. They had been strategizing for several hours and were quickly reaching the end of their collective rope.

"We could always try to steal a Death Glider or Al'kesh, but that seems to leave a lot to chance," continued Jack. Low level grumbling amongst the group demonstrated a general dissatisfaction with that plan. "Well, anyone else got anything better?" Jack asked, exasperated.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, pondering their options, then Sam spoke. "How does the Morrigan get the tribute back to her ship?"

Beldon's cousin Ogden responded. "The demons load it onto the larger of the ships they pilot...the, uh, Al'kesh."

"That's the naquada," Sam replied. "What about the children she takes?" she asked in a softer voice.

The group was silent until one of the women, Eda, answered, her voice hollow. "The Morrigan takes them into the Fainnecloch, and they disappear with her."

"That's why it's cursed. It's death to go there," added Ogden. There were sounds of agreement all around.

"Have you seen this?" Jack asked. Eda and a few others nodded.

"Tell us exactly what happens," instructed Sam.

Eda looked around the room, then took a breath. "There's a flash of light - no! First there's an odd sound, then the light, then they're...gone."

Jack turned to Sam. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"It's the right size and shape," she said.

"I'll bet there's a control on one of the stones," Jack added.

Ogden was watching the earthlings, his head moving back and forth between them as if he were at a tennis match. "What is it?"

Sam faced him. "The Fainnecloch...it's a ring platform." She was, of course, met with a host of blank stares. "A transporter. You see, it uses wormhole technology to convert matter to energy…"

Jack interrupted. "You turn it on, and anyone standing inside the ring is moved to another place, in this case, the Morrigan's ship..."

oOoOoOo

Mar'tek rang the bell outside of Dagda's chambers.

"Come!" he heard the Goa'uld yell from inside.

Mar'tek closed his eyes for a moment, inhaled deeply, and opened the door. He was immediately thankful he had taken a moment to compose himself. There, on the huge bed, on top of twisted sheets, lay Dagda. His robe was open, rolls upon rolls of fat not quite covering his exposed genitals. Mar'tek averted his eyes and did his best to mask his disgust. Only then did he notice the young woman who was standing in the corner, attempting to shield her naked body from view.

Dagda stood, pulling his robe closed around his impressive girth. "Leave us," he said to the woman. "And next time, bring the red head."

The woman ran out of the room as fast as she could, not even bothering to clothe herself before she left. Dagda turned his attention to the Jaffa.

"I've been thinking, Mar'tek, about the extent of your incompetence." He crossed the room to a small table, picked up an apple from the bowl of fruit in the center, and took a bite as he poured himself a glass of mead.

"My Lord?" It was apparent that Dagda was in a dangerous mood. Mar'tek wondered how much the Goa'uld had had to drink. There was only so much alcohol even a symbiote could effectively process.

"Your ostensible inability to remove the strangers as a threat. All I asked was that you kill the man and bring the woman to me. It's been over a week, and yet neither of these things has happened." He took another bite of the apple.

"My Lord, you wanted the man's death to seem an accident. We thought we had killed him at the mine..."

"Yet he did not die!" Dagda yelled, as pieces of apple flew from his mouth. He sighed, and his next words belied a false calm. "And I now understand that he has been actively plotting against me, that he is leading some sort of rebellion."

Mar'tek bowed his head. "Yes, my Lord, we believe this to be true."

"And still he is allowed to live!" Dagda screamed. "I want him killed immediately, Mar'tek! And since you are apparently incapable of managing this most trivial of tasks, I will now have to see to it myself."

"My Lord, we must be careful..." warned the Jaffa.

"The time for caution is over! I will make an example of these newcomers for all of the villagers to see, so that they understand they cannot defy me! Prepare your men. We will travel to the village tonight and dispose of this problem at once."

oOoOoOo

The moment Jack and Sam realized that the Fainnecloch might be a ring platform, they immediately wanted to go there to verify their suspicions. Unfortunately, however, it was rapidly getting darker, and no one in their group wished to travel to the supposedly cursed location at night. In addition, it was the evening of the village's annual Harvest Celebration, and the earthlings had been promised that the party was something they did not want to miss.

So, under protest, Jack and Sam had agreed to wait until the following morning to visit the Fainnecloch and had returned to their cabin to prepare for the Celebration. For Jack, said preparation took approximately two minutes, as he simply changed into a fresh set of clothes and ran his fingers through his graying hair. Sam, on the other hand, seemed to have been in cabin getting ready with Brigid for hours, much to Jack's consternation.

Garrick walked up to the cabin and joined Jack on the porch. "Women, eh?" the large man chuckled.

Jack grunted. "Yes, some things are, indeed, universal." But before either man could indulge in more grousing, the door to the cabin opened, and Sam walked out, followed closely by Brigid.

Jack sucked in a breath when he saw Sam. She was a vision in a deep blue dress that brought out the color of her eyes and accentuated her curves with a tightly fitted bodice and a swooping neckline. Several small, white flowers had been woven into her hair, and her pink lips shimmered with some sort of gloss.

Sam gave him a quizzical look, and Jack realized he was gaping at her like a fish. "Wow, Sam, I…uh, it's just that I…uh, sometimes I forget that you're a girl." He winced. Damn, that wasn't even true. There hadn't been a single second in the past six years that he'd forgotten she was a member of the opposite sex.

She cocked her head at him. "Gee, thanks, Jack. That's just what every girl wants to hear."

He closed his eyes, shook his head, and decided to try again. He looked up at her and said softly, "You're beautiful, Sam."

She smiled and ducked her head. He offered her his elbow, and when she took it, he led them down the trail to the village, just behind Garrick, Brigid, and the twins.

It was a beautiful fall night on Cian. The air was crisp and slightly cool, and as they walked toward the town, they heard only the sounds of the wind in the trees and the planet's nocturnal insects, layered with the faint laughter of the twins, who had run well ahead of them toward the party.

Jack reached down and gasped Sam's hand. When she turned to look at him, he kept staring straight ahead, a faint smile on his face.

As they neared the village, they began to hear music and smell the aromas of roasting nuts and freshly baked bread. Finally, they crested a small hill and looked down on the Celebration spread out before them.

"Holy Renaissance Festival, Batman," muttered Jack. "Daniel's gonna be so jealous." As soon as he said it, he regretted it. Sam looked up at him, and he knew what she was thinking. They were both missing their team, wondering what had happened to them – and to Earth.

Jack gave Sam's hand a squeeze and returned his gaze to activity down below. Interspersed among the trees, people were selling crafts from booths, children were playing games, and everyone was eating or drinking something. Jugglers, musicians, puppeteers, and other entertainers moved in between them all, drawing small groups of people that would spontaneously begin laughing or clapping.

As they moved into the midst of the Celebration, Jack and Sam gravitated toward a band playing a lively tune under a huge oak strung with several small lanterns. The music had drawn quite a crowd, many of whom had begun to dance, with even more watching the revelers. No sooner had the couple approached the gathering than Thane danced up and grabbed Sam around her waist, literally sweeping her off her feet. She let out a carefree laugh as he whisked her around the makeshift dance floor.

Jack smiled as he watched his Second, his Sam, happier than he'd ever seen her here. He didn't know what Thane was saying to her, but he kept her laughing. The soft light made her skin seem almost luminescent, her cheeks flushed with the effort of constant movement. The dress she was wearing cinched her narrow waist, while pushing her breasts up and together, giving her a deep cleavage that Jack honestly hadn't fully appreciated before now. He watched, fascinated, as she pushed the unruly strands of her now longer hair behind her ears, ducking her chin and looking up through her dark lashes as she did so. So entranced with her was he, that he didn't notice Garrick approach until the man placed his large hand on Jack's shoulder. "You're a lucky man, Jack," he said.

"I know," he replied quietly. But was he? He was in a fake marriage with the woman he truly loved but wasn't supposed to have. The complexity of the situation boggled his mind.

Garrick chuckled as the song ended and they watched Thane dip Sam. "I think if you don't act soon, you may have some competition for your wife's affections." And with that he gave Jack a shove toward the dance floor.

Jack stumbled toward Thane and Sam, glaring at Garrick over his shoulder, just as the band started playing a new song, this one slower than the last. As the dancers began pairing up, he tapped Thane on the shoulder. "May I?" he asked.

Thane bowed and swept his arm toward Sam with a smile. "Show off," muttered Jack, as he took Sam's hand in his and placed his other around her waist. He began moving her expertly around the dance floor.

"Colonel, I had no idea you were such an accomplished dancer," she said, her eyes twinkling.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "There's a lot more to me than the sarcastic flyboy you've come to know and love." He winced inwardly at his choice of words.

Now it was her turn to raise an eyebrow. "What else don't I know about you, Jack O'Neill?"

"Well, you might not know I can do this," and with those words he spun her around several times, then caught her and dipped her low, much lower than Thane. Immediately, he was reminded of another time he'd dipped her like that, a time she couldn't remember. A time that was one of his fondest memories.

He brought her up slowly, and she was still laughing as he pulled her closer. "No giggling, Major," he said in her ear, and that brought even more memories to the surface, but these they shared. She quieted and put her head on his shoulder, and he continued to guide her across the floor, slowly pulling her closer.

Suddenly, the song stopped and Jack and Sam looked around, surprised. All of the couples kissed, most quickly, though a few lingered. Jack glanced back at Sam, and she shrugged her shoulders. Apparently, this was part of the dance.

"Kiss her, Jack!" someone yelled. Then someone else took up the cry, and pretty soon several people were encouraging them to kiss, citing longstanding tradition and the threat of many years bad luck if they didn't follow through.

For his part, Jack just stared at Sam, who stared back, bemused. Finally, he spoke in a tone only she could hear. "We _are_ supposed to be married." He gave her a small half-smile.

"Probably should make it convincing, then," she whispered in reply.

Jack cupped her cheek, his expression serious now, and Sam's heart began to race as he lifted her face to his. Sam heard the cheers and cat-calls as their lips met, but she was soon so overwhelmed by the kiss itself that all other distractions faded and were forgotten.

His touch was soft and tentative at first, and the thought that such a strong man could be so gentle sent a thrill right to her core. Her body responded of its own accord, her hand wandering up his bicep to the nape of his neck, her mouth opening ever so slightly. He reacted to her in kind, pressing her against him with a hand at the small of her back. He let his tongue slip past her lips, and she opened to him a little more. He immediately deepened the kiss, and suddenly his touch moved from gentle, past seductive, to downright passionate.

She was kissing Jack O'Neill! The man she had desperately wanted but who had been strictly off-limits for six long years. The thought thrilled her and terrified her all at the same time. She had often wondered if he felt the same way. But the way his lips and tongue were moving against hers left no doubt. He wanted her, too.

Things were just starting to spiral out of control when Jack suddenly broke the kiss. He pulled back but kept his arms around her. They were both breathing hard, and Sam's body was buzzing pleasantly. She looked up at him, and he leaned his forehead against hers. Somewhere in the background people were applauding.

"Convincing enough for you?" he murmured.

She smiled. "Oh yeah," she replied, still breathless.

Suddenly, Jack and Sam heard the sounds of screaming, then a staff blast. Everyone turned in the direction of the noise and a few gasped as several Jaffa approached. An obese man, dressed in ornate green robes, emerged from the center of the group. "Where are the strangers?" he yelled.

"Dagda," Thane whispered to Jack.

No one moved. Dagda gave a nod to the largest of the Jaffa, who grabbed a young boy standing nearby. Jack groaned when he realized it was Dax, one of Garrick's twins.

"You will come forward now, or I will kill the boy," Dagda exclaimed. As he raised his palm toward Dax, Jack saw a ribbon device fitted to his hand.

Jack stepped forward. "Wait! It's me you want."

Dagda approached the military man and laughed. "You? What would I want with you?" His eyes moved from Jack to the woman standing next to him. "Now this one," he said as he reached out and stroked Sam's cheek with his stubby fingers, "this one I want _very_ much."

Jack growled. "Don't touch her, you fat fu...," but before he could finish his sentence, one of the other Jaffa stepped up and touched a pain stick to Jack's side. He dropped to his knees immediately.

"Stop it!" yelled Sam. Dagda gave a nod to the Jaffa with the pain stick, and he hit Jack again.

The Goa'uld grabbed Sam's arm. "You should save your strength, my dear." He placed his mouth right next to her ear, so close Sam could smell his putrid breath. "You're going to need it later," he whispered.

Dagda turned to face the crowd. "Do you see? I am a merciful god, but those who defy me will be punished!" He gave Sam's arm a tug. "Come, my dear. It's time to return to the castle, where you will service me gladly, lest I punish these others."

"My Lord, what of him?" asked Mar'tek, indicating Jack, who was still writhing in pain.

"Kill him," Dagda replied. At that, he touched his wrist, and with a flash of light, he and Sam were gone.


	9. Dagda

Jack heard the order to kill him, but that actually concerned him less than the fact that Dagda had just disappeared into thin air with Sam. Where was he taking her? God, what was he going to going to do to her?

His thoughts were interrupted when the large Jaffa who had spoken to Dagda stepped in front of him and leveled a staff weapon at his face. He armed the weapon, and Jack watched as latent energy crackled around the head of the device. Crap, how was he getting out of this one? His eyes darted around, looking for an advantage, but he could see none. In addition to the Jaffa standing in front of him, there were at least five others interspersed among the crowd of villagers, including the one at his back.

Suddenly, several things happened at once. Garrick's son Dax stepped hard on the foot of the Jaffa who was still restraining him, causing him to cry out, more in surprise than pain. The warrior struck the boy, but was immediately set upon by both Garrick and Thane, who easily disarmed him and began beating him on the ground.

At the same time, the Jaffa preparing to shoot Jack glanced over his shoulder at the unexpected commotion. It was all the opportunity Jack needed. He grabbed the staff weapon, the shot intended for him hitting the ground instead, and rammed the butt of the staff into the neck of warrior who had tried to kill him. Then, in a move that would have made Teal'c proud, Jack sighted the weapon backwards and fired, taking out the Jaffa with the pain stick who was standing behind him.

Using the staff as leverage, Jack hoisted himself up, righted the weapon and primed it, ready to shoot. There was no need. The three remaining Jaffa had been swarmed by the villagers and were either dead or dying.

Jack walked over to large Jaffa who had tried to kill him. He was lying on the ground, flat on his back, an ugly gurgling noise coming from his throat as he tried to breathe. "Where did they go?" Jack asked, his voice hard as stone. When the warrior failed to reply, Jack primed the staff weapon and pointed it at the bird tattoo on his head. "Let's try this again. Where. Did. They. Go?" He punctuated each word with a jab of the staff.

At first, Jack didn't think he'd reply. Then he heard the Jaffa whisper in a strained voice, "Castle." Jack was turning to leave, when he heard something else. The Jaffa was still talking. Jack knelt beside him. "He will...defile...her. His...chambers." Jack felt the bile rise in his throat, even as he watched the Jaffa's eyes dim.

Jack stood and addressed the crowd. "I'm going to find Dagda. Anyone who wants to join me, grab a weapon and let's move out." A roar went up from the crowd. Jack took off in the direction of the castle, with almost all of the men, and a good number of the women following.

"Hang on, Sam," he whispered.

oOoOoOo

Sam had to take a moment to clear her head, as the instantaneous change of location was causing it to spin. Her shock over the fact that they had transported was superseded only by her curiosity about the manner in which they had done so. She looked at Dagda's wrist and saw some device there - a personal transporter, she supposed, though she'd never seen one used by a Goa'uld before.

So Dagda was a Goa'uld. She had been under the misimpression that he was merely a Jaffa, but he bore no tattoo and she could clearly sense his mature symbiote. This complicated things somewhat. Of course, Jack was likely already altering his tactical plans on the basis of this new information.

Jack! Dagda had ordered him killed immediately before they left. Sam felt her stomach drop at the thought that he might be dead. But she had to push that notion far aside, as she had her own problems at the moment.

Dagda had never let go of her arm and was now dragging her from what appeared to be a throne room, presumably in the castle he occupied. "Come, my dear," he said. "I am most anxious to get to know you better, but I would prefer to have you properly attired first."

Sam wrenched her arm free. "Let go of me!"

Dagda's eyes flashed, and he grabbed her by both shoulders in an iron grip. As they were almost the same height, he stood nose to nose with her. "Oh, I do like a woman who puts up a bit of a fight," he growled, as he peered down into her bodice, "and you will be a pleasure to tame. But make no mistake, I will only tolerate insolence to a point." And with that he struck her across the face, sending her sprawling onto the floor.

He yanked her up, as she raised her hand to her lip which was now bleeding profusely. "Now see what you have made me do?" he asked with mock sincerity.

She glared at him, and he continued to pull her down a hallway leading away from the throne room. "You will come with me to my servants' quarters where my women will tend to your injuries and prepare you for our meeting later this evening." He tightened his grip on her arm. "And make no mistake. If you are uncooperative in any way, I will kill the women and give the task to my Jaffa instead."

As they made their way to the servants' quarters, Sam took the opportunity to get a good look at their surroundings, noting any possible means of escape. The castle was not that big. She assumed the throne room was somewhere in the center and the servants' quarters were as far from the main rooms as possible. In fact, Dagda was taking her down what was likely a back set of stairs at that moment, and Sam wondered if there might be an exit at the bottom.

When they finally arrived at the end of the staircase, though, all she could see was a single door. Dagda approached it, lifted a large latch, and pulled it open. As they entered, Sam heard a series of gasps. Three women stood up from their spots on the floor.

Dagda shoved Sam into the room. "See that she is bathed and made presentable for me within the hour. If she is not prepared by that time, you will all be punished." He turned and walked out the door, shutting it behind him. Sam heard the sound of the latch being lowered into its slot.

Sam immediately went to the door to see if it could be opened, but it was locked tight. She spun around to face the women. "Is there any other way out of here?" All three shook their heads.

The oldest of the women approached Sam and began unfastening her bodice. "What are you doing?" Sam asked, as she backed away.

"We must get you ready for Dagda. You will need to be bathed and dressed."

She shook her head. "Oh no. That is so not happening."

The red haired women spoke next. "If you don't let us prepare you, he will beat all of us."

"Then why don't you fight him?" Sam asked, irrationally angry at the women for their apparent unwillingness to defend themselves.

"He is too strong," replied the red head.

The oldest spoke again. "You must not fight him, either. It only makes it worse."

"Yes, if you are too difficult, he will just have you killed," agreed the red head. "You should try to please him."

"Please, at least let us prepare you," said the older woman. "What you choose to do after that is up to you."

Sam closed her eyes, then finally nodded. If these women weren't going to help her, then at least she could save her strength for the inevitable confrontation with Dagda.

"How long have you been here?" Sam asked all three, as she removed her dress.

"Fleta has been here a little over a year," the oldest woman indicated the red head. "And Poppy came to us but a few months ago." She looked sympathetically at the young girl, who couldn't have been more than sixteen years old and hadn't spoken a word since Sam arrived. "Dagda likes her best at the moment." She picked up a damp, scented cloth and began running it over Sam's arms. "I'm Maida, and I've served in the castle for five years. Most don't make it three. Heed our advice, and you may hope to last as long."

Sam took the cloth from Maida. "I can do that," she said.

The women continued to attempt to groom her, while Sam kept trying to convince them to either fight or flee. But they had no interest in risking Dagda's ire. It was clear they were terrified of him.

Finally, Maida pulled out a long, silky, and practically transparent robe from an armoire. Sam took one look at it and muttered, "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

No sooner had she put on the robe than the door opened again. Two Jaffa stood there and exchanged smirks as they took in her appearance. "Dagda will be most pleased with you," said one. He grabbed Sam by the arm and led her from the room.

The other went to Poppy and pulled her off the floor. "He wants you, too," he told the girl. Sam had just enough time to glance quickly over her shoulder at Poppy, only to see a look of abject fear in her eyes.

The four moved quickly through the castle. When they arrived at Dagda's chambers, the Jaffa knocked then entered, holding Sam firmly between them. Poppy trailed behind. Sam watched as the obese Goa'uld hefted himself from the bed and walked toward her.

Dagda's eyes glowed as he looked at Sam. He stood just in front of her and opened her robe, letting his eyes roam over her body. Sam didn't flinch, but continued looking straight ahead. He smiled. "Leave us," he said to the Jaffa.

Once they had closed the door, Dagda crossed the room to a small table by the bed and poured two glasses of mead. Sam eye's widened when she noticed a serving knife embedded in a large round of cheese. She quickly averted her gaze.

Dagda extended a glass to her, and she took it. "You see. There is no need for this to be unpleasant." He took a sip. "I believe we will get along just fine." Dagda reached out and trailed his fingers from her neck, between her breasts, to her abdomen. Without warning, Sam shoved the heel of her hand as hard as she could into his nose. He cried out and stumbled backwards, his drink flying. Sam made a beeline for the table with the knife, but Dagda recovered much faster than she thought possible. He hit her from behind, sending her to the floor for the second time that evening.

"Woman!" he bellowed. Poppy scurried over to him, eyes wide, and began wiping his bleeding nose with a towel. Sam had all but forgotten she was there. "I have already told you that insolence will be punished!" At that, Dagda grabbed the towel from Poppy and backhanded her.

Sam got to her feet and stood between Dagda and Poppy. "Leave her alone," she growled.

Dagda patted his sagging face with the towel. "But you see, my dear, if you continue to fight me, I will have to punish her, as well as you." Dagda grabbed Sam by her arm and pulled her to him. "Now it's your turn," he hissed in her ear.

Sam took advantage of his proximity and jabbed her fingers in his eyes. He let out a roar of pain but did not release his grip on her. Immediately, she brought her foot down on his instep, but he was undeterred. He twisted her arm around her back and spun her so that he held her from behind.

Before Sam knew what was happening he had her bent over the bed, one arm still pinned painfully behind her and the other trapped underneath her body, his large frame crushing her and keeping her restrained. Her head was turned to the side facing the table with the knife, but it might have been across the galaxy for all the good it was doing her now.

Sam mustered her strength and attempted to flip him off of her. But he was just too heavy. She closed her eyes, then immediately opened them again, as Dagda began pulling her robe up with his free hand. "As I said," he breathed heavily in her ear, "I'm going to enjoy breaking you."

No! She felt a moment of sheer panic as she realized that she couldn't move, that she was at his mercy. Memories of Turghan flashed before her eyes, and she shut them tight and concentrated on trying not to cry out. There was little else she could do, but at least she wouldn't give him that satisfaction. She focused on her training, attempting to calm herself and disconnect her mind from the impending physical experience.

Without warning, someone let out a scream, and Sam was shocked to realize it wasn't her. Even more surprising was the fact that Dagda was no longer on top of her. Wasting no time, she lunged for the knife and spun around. Dagda had his ribbon device trained on Poppy, who was whimpering in pain. The bottle of mead lay shattered on the floor, the liquid spreading across the tiles and dripping off the crown of Dagda's head.

With laser-like focus, Sam plunged the knife into the back of Dagda's neck with all her strength. The ribbon device shut off immediately, and Dagda dropped his hand. His eyes flashed and dimmed, but he remained standing for several long seconds. Finally he fell over, crumbling on the spot in a mountain of pasty flesh, the knife still protruding from the back of his neck.

Poppy had curled up in a ball and was still whimpering. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sam knew that she should check on her, but she couldn't seem to get her body to do anything but stand and stare at the fallen Goa'uld. It wasn't long, however, until her attention was drawn by the sound of a struggle outside the entrance to Dagda's chambers. The door burst open, and Jack and several others entered the room.

"Sam?" he asked. He took in the entire scene in one glance, and his face hardened as he pulled off his jacket and walked toward her, draping it over her shoulders. He turned to one of the women who had followed him in. "Take care of her," he said, indicating Poppy. He looked at the rest of them. "Give us a minute, okay?"

As the others exited the room, Jack knelt down next to Dagda's body and rolled him over. His eyes were still open but stared blankly ahead. Jack, however, wasn't taking any chances. He took out the zat he had liberated from the dead Jaffa outside the door and fired it at the body twice.

When everyone else had gone, Jack looked closely at Sam, her eyes still glazed. "Sam?" he asked again. When she still didn't say anything, he drew himself up and in his best command voice, said loudly, "Report, Major!"

"Sir!" she responded automatically, and it was enough to shake her from her reverie. "I...I killed him."

Jack looked into her eyes, and though he was relieved that she was back with him, what he saw there made his stomach clench. "Are you okay, Sam?" He swallowed. "Did he...?"

"No," she responded immediately. "No, he was going to. If it hadn't been for Poppy...Oh god, where is she?" She looked around the room. "Is she okay?"

"She's being looked after, Sam. I'm more concerned about you."

"There's no need to be concerned. I'm fine. Really. Nothing happened." But as soon as she said it, all of the fear she had been trying to keep under control suddenly came to the surface, and she let out a sob. She dropped her head into her hands and turned away from Jack. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

He turned her toward him and put his arms around her, drawing her into a tight embrace. "There is nothing you need to apologize for," he whispered into her hair.

She sniffled. "I'm supposed to be stronger than this."

"You're the strongest person I know, Sam." He held her tighter. "Heck, you single handedly killed a Goa'uld with a...what is that, anyway?"

She smiled a little into his chest. "Cheese knife."

Jack laughed. "You see? I don't even think Teal'c has taken out a Goa'uld with a cheese knife. Now Daniel almost talked one to death once..."

By now, Sam was laughing too, though neither had released their hold on the other. After a minute she asked quietly, "He's dead, right?"

"Oh, he's really most sincerely dead."

oOoOoOo

Once they found a change of clothes for Sam, she and Jack headed to the throne room of the castle, as Thane had informed them that was where everyone was meeting to regroup. Jack filled her in on what had happened along the way. Sam was stunned that so many of the villagers had followed him there. Even more surprising was that they had managed to take out at least ten Jaffa so far.

The throne room was a madhouse. Several people were milling around or talking in small groups. There were so many of them, it was difficult to move. Jack searched for Garrick and Thane and finally located them near the front of the room. He and Sam pushed their way forward.

Thane had to speak directly in Jack's ear to be heard. "We've taken out at least four other demons."

"How many does that leave?" asked Jack.

"Only a handful, maybe five or six." Thane clasped Jack's shoulder and gestured to the crowd. "You need to tell them what's happened."

Jack nodded and tried in vain to get everyone's attention. Finally, he stepped up on top of the throne, put two fingers in his mouth, and let out an ear piercing whistle. Everyone turned his direction.

"Dagda is dead, as are most of the Jaf-, er, demons." Cheers went up from the crowd. "However, there are still some demons on the loose. You must be careful. Make sure you remain armed at all times."

Someone in the back called out, "And what of the Morrigan? She will surely kill us all for this!"

Jack stood up tall. "We will fight her. We can show you how." But now a ripple of uncertainty was passing through the crowd. Jack knew he was losing them. "Look, you just need to trust me. We'll come up with a plan."

But it was no use; the villagers were now talking urgently among themselves, no longer paying attention to Jack. Jack jumped off the throne and sat down on it, his head in his hands. Suddenly, several people in front gasped and began whispering. Jack looked up and was disturbed to see them pointing at him. "What?" he asked.

One of the women near the front, her finger still pointed at Jack, yelled out, "Look! The prophecy is fulfilled! He sits the throne!" The buzzing in the room now had an excited edge to it, and several people began pressing forward to get a glimpse of Jack.

Jack looked around him. Then he pointed to himself. "Who? Me?"


	10. The Fainnecloch

"I just don't see it," Jack said to Sam.

They were slowly making their way across the mist covered hills toward the Fainnecloch. It had been a few days since Sam killed Dagda and Jack stormed the castle. In that time, the villagers, led by the earthlings, had tracked down and removed the remaining Jaffa, and Jack and Sam had become something akin to local celebrities. As a result, several of the villagers had decided to join them in their trek to the supposed cursed locale.

While most were grateful to be out from under the thumb of Dagda and his demons, there were a large – and Jack feared, growing – number of people who doubted they would be able to defend themselves against the Morrigan when she inevitably arrived. There were also many who didn't buy into the theory that Jack and Sam were the embodiment of the prophecy – including Jack.

"I mean, I just sat down on that stupid throne because I was tired. It could have been anyone," he said for the hundredth time. "Plus, I don't 'rule the skies.' What the heck does that mean, anyway?"

"Well, you are a pilot," Sam pointed out. She gave him a brilliant smile and turned her attention back toward their path, which was crossing increasingly rocky terrain.

Jack watched her out of the corner of his eye and gave an inward sigh, as his stomach did a mini flip flop. That was happening more often now, whenever she'd look at him a certain way. While he had always been attracted to her, somewhere in the last four months he had fallen head over heels. He wasn't sure if it was sharing a bed, the use of their first names, or that damn kiss, but whatever the cause, he was in serious trouble and had no idea what to do about it. Half the time he wanted to sweep her up in his arms and make mad, passionate love to her. The other half, he was trying to figure out how to reestablish some of the professional boundaries they had been trampling all over since they got here.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear it. "Yeah, well, I was hardly ruling anything when I crashed the X-302 into the ground," he muttered as they continued to make their way toward the Fainnecloch.

Sam could feel his eyes on her as they walked. He'd been doing that a lot lately, watching her when he didn't think she'd notice. She suspected that he was torn between his military duty and his feelings for her, because she felt the same. It had always been that way for them. However, being here had proven that she could live without the military – heck, it had proven that she could even live without Earth. But she was fairly certain she couldn't live without Jack. She just wasn't sure how to tell him, or even if she _should_ tell him. So far they had always chosen duty above love. Since they had been living on Cian, though, that had changed for her. She just wasn't certain if it had for him.

As the group crested a hill, Sam pushed those thoughts aside, her attention now focused on the ring of stones in the clearing below. A large part of their somewhat sketchy plan depended on their ability to get aboard the Morrigan's ship, which in turn depended on their ability to find a ring platform at the Fainnecloch. When Sam had asked Jack what they would do if it wasn't there, he had responded with his usual, "We'll jump off that bridge when we get to it."

Now came the moment of truth. Sam took a deep breath and started down the hill behind Jack. Several members of their group hesitated before finally following the two earthlings into the open meadow toward the Fainnecloch.

Her eyes widened as Sam approached the grouping of stones. It was smaller than Stonehenge, but almost completely intact and equally impressive. It was made up of thirteen monoliths, each approximately twelve feet high and five feet wide. She walked inside the ring and immediately noticed a faint circle in the ground.

"Jack," she called and pointed to the circle.

He walked over and nodded his head. They smiled at each other. "Ring platform," they said in unison.

"Okay, folks," Jack announced, "there should be a control, like a button or panel, around here somewhere. Everyone spread out and take a look. It'll be close."

Sam ran her fingers over the stones. Strange engravings covered the rock. "Jack, this looks like it could be Ancient," she said. "It's too bad Daniel isn't here. He would love this."

"Yeah, and we might be able to read the instruction manual," replied Jack.

They searched the Fainnecloch for an hour and couldn't find anything that might activate the platform. None of the villagers would walk inside the ring, except for Thane and Eda. It was Eda who suggested that perhaps they needed to stand in a certain location to see the control.

Eda walked to the center of the ring and began looking around. Thane joined her, followed by Sam. They all turned in different directions looking for some clue as to how to operate the device.

"Find anything?" asked Jack, as he walked up to the small group. Without warning, he heard the familiar sound of a platform activating. Both Eda and Thane tried to run, but Jack and Sam restrained them. "Keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all time, boys and girls," he said, as five rings rose up out of the ground, surrounding them.

The familiar flash of light enveloped them, and instantly the rings were falling back down around them. Except they were no longer in the Fainnecloch, or anywhere else on Cian, it seemed.

Eda instantly started panicking. "We're in the Morrigan's hold!" she cried.

Sam placed a hand on her arm. "I don't think so," she replied, as she looked around. "This architecture isn't Goa'uld."

The four of them spread out a little and began examining their surroundings. They were in a large chamber that was lit by an unseen source, giving the area a diffuse blue glow. Tall, modern columns rose several feet into the air, ending in what appeared to be a ceiling of rough hewn rock. Ornate screens with geometric patterns that reminded Sam vaguely of Morocco divided the room into different sections. The whole thing looked clean, and modern, and…

"Ancient," said Jack. "This place was built by the Ancients."

"I think you're right," agreed Sam. She walked around one on the screens into a different section of the room. "Jack!"

The three ran around the divider to join her. Eda let out a gasp. There, on a raised platform sat a strange looking chair. It was covered in more designs made of metal, though these patterns were random, like vines. The whole thing was glowing faintly.

"The throne!" Eda whispered, her voice full of awe. She turned to Jack. "You must sit upon it!"

Jack held up his hands. "Uh-uh. No way. Somebody else can 'sit the throne.'" He looked at Sam. "Ladies first?"

"Chicken," she muttered, as she shot him a nervous smile. Sam walked up on the dais and hesitated only for a second before sitting in the chair. When nothing happened, she shrugged her shoulders and stood up. "Next?"

Thane steeled himself and strode purposefully onto the platform. But when he sat down, again nothing happened. He looked at Eda, and she shook her head vigorously.

"Oh for crying out loud," muttered Jack. He walked toward the chair, which started glowing more brightly. He raised his eyebrows at Sam, but she just shrugged her shoulders again. Tentatively, he eased himself down on the seat. The moment he touched it, the throne lit up like a Christmas tree and leaned backwards.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Jack, as he struggled to remain upright.

Eda and Thane backed off, but Sam ran forward. "Are you all right?" she asked, trying to keep the worried edge out of her voice.

Jack relaxed a little into the chair. "Yeah. Yeah, I think so." He placed his hands on the arm rests and was surprised to discover a soft, gel-like material under his fingertips. When he touched it, he could feel some sort of energy coursing through his body. "Whoa," he said again. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "Whoa," he said a third time, so softly the others could barely hear him.

"What is it?" asked Thane.

"I can see…everything," he replied, his eyes still closed. "We're in a cavern under the Fainnecloch."

"So we're still on Cian?" asked Sam.

"Yep," he replied. "And I can see that, too." At that moment, a hologram showing three planets orbiting a sun popped out of nowhere above the throne.

Sam got closer, so that she was almost touching the hologram. "It's the solar system of this planet. See, that's Cian," she said to Thane and Eda, pointing to the blue and green satellite orbiting the sun. She turned to Jack. "Are you doing this?"

"Oh yeah," he said with a smile, as he sat up in the chair. "And I know now how we're going to defeat the Morrigan."

"How?" she asked.

He gave her a big grin. "I'm going to rule the skies."

oOoOoOo

News of their discovery spread quickly, and soon even the most vocal skeptics were now believers in both the plan to overthrow the Morrigan and the theory that Jack and Sam really were the strangers referenced in the prophecy. It didn't hurt that when Jack decided to do a "test run" with the chair, he took out the entire side of a distant mountain.

Only Jack remained unsure about his role in the prophecy. When the issue came up, he would mumble something about it being bad to believe in your own press. Regardless, though, the villagers viewed him, along with Sam, as their unofficial leaders, and Jack was taking full advantage of that fact to get them ready to fight the Morrigan.

Since they were no longer required to mine, the villagers had a lot more time to train, though they still had to prepare their farms and homes for the rapidly approaching winter season. So, a few weeks after the discovery at the Fainnecloch, Jack and several others decided to go hunting for deer in the nearby forest. The trip was supposed to last overnight, but when the group spotted a winter storm approaching, they chose to cut it short.

Jack had barely made it back to the cabin before a harsh wind began blowing the leaves off the trees and kicking up dirt everywhere. He squeezed through the cracked door and shut it quickly in an effort to keep out as much debris as possible.

The fire was banked low, and it was dim inside the small house. Jack had to give his eyes a moment to adjust as he turned to look for Sam. He was drawn to the light of a single candle inside the open curtain of their makeshift bathroom, and when he realized what he was seeing, he froze.

There in the old wooden wash tub stood Sam, not a stitch of clothing on her. Her back was to him, and she was running a damp cloth down her arms. Apparently, with the noise the wind was making, she hadn't heard him come in. Although he knew it was wrong, he couldn't help but take advantage of his unnoticed entry to fully study the naked form of his Second.

His eyes traveled up her long, lean legs to her perfectly heart-shaped six. He took in her narrow waist and watched with fascination as the muscles of her back moved under her skin whenever she brushed the cloth down her arms. Her hair had grown out several inches and was caught up in some sort of tie, with soft, damp tendrils curling around her neck. In the soft light of the candle, her skin was luminous. She was, in a word, beautiful.

He wasn't exactly sure how long he had been standing there watching her when the wind blew some pebbles against the door, causing Sam to turn toward the sound. She saw him immediately and locked eyes with him, not saying a word. Though Jack was mortified at being caught, he couldn't move, nor could he look away.

They stared at each other for several seconds. Then, to Jack's utter bewilderment, instead of covering herself as he might have expected, she lowered her arms to her sides and turned her body completely toward him, facing him. Once again, Jack was rooted to the spot, and if he thought she looked amazing from behind, it was nothing compared to the sight that now stood before him.

Water ran in rivulets between her full breasts tipped by taut, pink nipples. His eyes followed the drops as they ran from her cleavage across her firm abdomen and ultimately down into the soft dark blonde curls at the apex of her thighs. Jack swallowed hard and brought his gaze back up to her face.

She was looking right at him, questioning him with her eyes, with an intensity he could only bear for a few seconds. Quickly he looked away, as a flush crawled up his neck, embarrassed at having been caught looking and by his body's obvious reaction to her. Not knowing what else to do, he turned and walked back outside of the cabin.

He leaned over the railing on the porch, watching the storm clouds approach on the horizon, as the wind whipped the trees. Goddammit, he knew he wasn't supposed to, but he wanted her in the worst possible way. He had known for a long time that he thought of her as far more than just his Second. Now that they were trapped here, the differences between them - her rank, his age - were increasingly becoming insignificant. Still, he wondered not for the first time what he had to offer her in the long term. She was beautiful, intelligent, and 16 years his junior. Any number of men would probably be a better match. She didn't deserve to be saddled with an aging and jaded military man when they returned home.

His thoughts were interrupted by the banging of the cabin door. She had pulled a thin cotton shirt over her naked body, but it did little to conceal her curves. He was still finding it difficult to look at her, so he continued to stare out over the porch. "I'll move out tomorrow," he said without turning her direction.

"Is that what you want?" she asked quietly.

God no, he thought. "It would be for the best," was his reply. When she didn't respond, he finally turned to look at her. "Look, I...I can't do this anymore, Sam," he pleaded. "I can't live with you here, day in, day out, sharing a bed, pretending that we're together, when...we're not."

She looked directly at him. "So let's not pretend," she said softly.

"Sam..." he started, though he didn't know what he was going to say.

She cut him off. "Jack. I've thought about this, about us, long before we wound up on this planet. I never thought we'd have the chance to be together, but the time we've spent here...I can't imagine it being any other way."

He shook his head. "I'm your commanding officer. What happens when we get back to Earth?"

She was still for a moment before responding. "I guess we jump off that bridge when we get to it," she replied quietly, throwing one of his favorite phrases right back at him.

Holy crap, he thought, as realization dawned on him. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, and not just because they were trapped here together. The thought struck him like a thunderbolt.

She stepped into his personal space, as the sky rumbled in the distance. He put his hands on her face and looked into her big blue eyes, full of desire and uncertainty. In that moment, he was lost. "Sam," he whispered. Then his lips were on hers, and six years of longing and restraint were undone in an instant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those looking for a little more heat, this chapter is continued in my stand-alone story, "Home."


	11. Unexpected

The snow had been coming down all night, and when Sam glanced at the window, she saw that it was still falling this morning. She hadn't noticed until just now. Of course, she'd been a bit preoccupied since she woke up.

They were both still breathing hard, and every time Jack panted it tickled her ear. She wrapped her legs tightly around his and ran a hand through his hair. This, she thought, must be heaven, snuggled under the covers on a cold winter morning, having just made love to the man she adored.

She smiled. Almost every morning had been like this since their first night together almost four months ago. Jack, as it turned out, was insatiable. It amazed her that a man with his sex drive had slept in the same bed with her for all those weeks without making a single move. Now, he couldn't keep his hands off of her. According to Jack, he was just making up for lost time. Not that she was complaining.

He raised up on his arms and looked down at her. "Hey," he said softly.

"Hey yourself," she replied.

He cocked his head at her. "You okay? I swear I can hear you thinking."

She smiled up at him. "I thought I made it abundantly clear just a minute ago that I am much, much better than just okay."

"Maybe we should have you do that again, just to be sure," he murmured in her ear, causing goose bumps to erupt all over her skin. He kissed his way down her neck, across her jaw line, finally finding his way to her lips. She grasped the back of his head and held him to her as she let out a soft sigh. A critical piece of Jack's anatomy was just starting to stir again, when they were interrupted by a knock on their door.

"Jack? Sam?" called Brigid. She had finally started knocking, though it had taken her walking in on them one morning before she learned her lesson. Apparently, though, the position in which they had been discovered was not one commonly practiced on Cian, and Brigid had demanded an explanation from Sam so detailed it made her blush.

Jack groaned and rolled off of Sam. "What?" he screamed at the door.

"Thane is here," she replied.

"Tell him to keep his pants on, Brigid, I'll be there in a minute," Jack yelled.

Brigid huffed. "I'll tell him that, Jack, but the sooner you put on yours, the happier he'll be."

Sam laughed out loud as Jack frowned at the door. "You know, sometimes I miss an environment where no one ever talks back to me."

"Sounds like karma to me." Sam was looking up him, her eyes twinkling.

"See," he said. "That's exactly what I'm talking about." He gave her a smile and kissed her quickly as he got out of the bed.

"Are you and Thane running drills today?" she asked, rolling on to her side to watch him dress.

She and Jack had been working endlessly with the villagers to get them trained to fight. They had found a stash of Goa'uld weapons at the castle and had been acclimating everyone to their use. Unfortunately, there weren't enough zats, pain sticks, and staff weapons for everyone, but they had supplemented their armory with the villagers' own bows and arrows, swords, and knives. Sam would have given just about anything for a couple of P-90s.

"Yep," he replied, as he put on his pants. "Wanna come?"

She sighed and settled back on the bed. "Not today. I promised Brigid I'd help her with the baking."

He gave her a puzzled look. "Are you feeling okay?" It wasn't like her to choose domestic chores over military training.

"Just a little tired," she replied, as she smiled up at him. The truth was, she was exhausted, and the thought of taking a day off to help around the farm was strangely appealing.

"Alright, sleepy head. Try not to stay in bed all day." He kissed her again and made his way out the door, giving her a small wave as he left.

Sam dragged herself out of bed. It was getting more and more difficult to get up these days. They had been working hard with the villagers, and things were going well. Jack thought they should be ready in the next few months, well in advance of the Morrigan's annual visit. For that reason, Sam decided that one day off couldn't hurt. Apparently, she needed the rest.

After cleaning up and getting dressed, Sam pulled on her coat and walked outside. It had finally stopped snowing, but everything was covered in a blanket of white. Brigid had told her that this was probably the last snow of the season, and although it meant the Morrigan's arrival was imminent, Sam couldn't help looking forward to the spring.

She entered the main house, which was warm and cozy and already smelled of freshly baked bread.

"Ah, Sam!" Brigid greeted her. "I'm glad you're here. I was just getting ready to make the loaves."

The two women worked side by side, chatting the morning away. While the bread was rising, Brigid checked the stove and realized that the fire was burning too low. She turned toward Sam. "Would you mind getting some more wood? I've got flour all over my hands."

"No problem," Sam replied. She opened the back door and walked outside.

A large crow perched on top of the woodpile. Sam shooed it away, and it took off on silent wings. She bent down to pick up the firewood, but when she stood up again, she was overcome with vertigo. She dropped the wood and leaned against the doorframe, as a wave of nausea hit her. Brigid opened the door and looked out.

"Sam! Are you okay?" the older woman grabbed her by the elbow.

Sam stood up, the dizziness having now passed. "I'm alright. Thanks, Brigid."

"Maybe you should go rest. I can finish up in here."

Sam nodded and headed toward her cabin, not bothering to grab her coat. As she walked by the snow covered field, she noticed that it was filled with crows, several others flying in to settle with their brethren. Some flapped their wings as she passed, but otherwise, they were silent. The black birds on the stark white field created an eerie effect, incongruous with Sam's notion of Cian as a green and vibrant planet.

She tried to remember whether she had ever seen crows in the field before. Perhaps it was a seasonal event here. Whatever the situation, it gave her an uneasy feeling. She would have to introduce Garrick and Brigid to the concept of a scarecrow once the planting season arrived.

She walked into the cabin and headed straight to bed. She was so tired! What was wrong with her? She leaned back and put her arm over her eyes. God, she hoped she wasn't getting sick. Maybe she was about to start her period.

When had she last had a period anyway? Between her shots and all the 'gate travel, she had never had anything close to a regular cycle. She'd had a few since she'd been here because she'd had to ask Brigid for some supplies. But that had been months ago, now that she thought about it. No wonder she was having such a hard time this cycle. She was overdue.

She sat up. Oh god. Oh no. She was overdue. How long had they been here? She did a quick calculation and figured it had been close to eight months since they crashed on Cian. She'd had her shot just before they left, but it was only good for three, and she and Jack had been going at it like rabbits for weeks now. She closed her eyes, as the gravity of the situation washed over her. Holy Hannah. She was pregnant.

The thought of birth control had never entered her mind. Janet had always kept track, so she'd never had to worry about it. Before Jack, it had been so long since she'd been with a man she hadn't had reason to pay much attention. Plus, she had always assumed with everything she'd been through, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to conceive. Still, she was adult; she knew how these things worked. How could she have been so careless?

She stood up and smoothed the front of her skirt over her abdomen. It didn't seem any bigger, but then she wasn't sure how long it would take to start showing. She didn't have any clue how far along she was. She'd been sleeping with Jack for close to four months. Could she be that pregnant?

Jack! God, what was she going to tell him? They had only just begun their relationship. What would he think? Did he even want more children? What would happen when they returned to Earth? And what if they didn't? The thought of giving birth on a planet that didn't have anesthesia, much less modern medical facilities was not appealing. And the timing couldn't be worse - the Morrigan would be here within the next few months!

At that moment a large crow landed on the sill outside her window and cawed, the noise startling her from her thoughts. Almost instantly, the call was taken up by the others in the field. The sound was deafening. But layered on top of the noise of the crows, she heard another sound - a clanging of bells. Something about the cacophony sent a chill down her spine.

Sam went to the door of the cabin and looked out just in time to see Brigid running toward her across the field. The crows took off in a cloud of black feathers as she approached.

"Sam!" yelled Brigid, her eyes wild. "It's the Morrigan! She's here!"


	12. Betrayal

Sam ran out to meet Brigid but stopped in her tracks upon hearing an all too familiar whining sound coming from above. She looked up and gasped. Five Death Gliders were flying toward the town.

Sam's military training kicked in instantly. She rushed back inside to change quickly into something more closely akin to her BDUs and grabbed the two zats Jack had insisted they keep at the cabin.

Outside, Brigid was standing completely still, staring at the sky, clearly in shock. Sam ran up to the woman and gave her a good shake. "Brigid!" She shook her again until the older woman finally looked at her. "You know what to do," she said looking her straight in the eye. "Get the twins, and head to the caves. Beldon will be there waiting." She pressed the zat into her hands. "Now go!" Brigid nodded once and ran back toward the house.

Sam gave a silent prayer of thanks for planning. Several months ago the villagers had determined who would fight and who would flee when the battle began. All of the children, elderly, and sick, along with a fair number of caregivers, had been instructed to go to the caves in the eastern hills as soon as the attack began. Beldon and a handful of other fighters were charged with protecting them there, if necessary.

The castle had been designated as a second rendezvous point for evacuees, particularly those living in and around town. Although still in the midst of the action, it was well defended, as the villagers had been using it as a barracks since they took it over from Dagda. Sam's role was to assist with the evacuation and lead the fight on the ground.

She turned to begin making her way in that direction, when she heard a familiar voice. "Sam!" yelled Garrick from across the field. "Wait! I'm coming with you." Sam's spirits lifted somewhat, as she watched the large man lumber across the field, sword in hand. Given his initial hesitation about trying to overthrow the Morrigan, it had never been clear whether he would fight or not.

"I'm glad you're here," she said with a smile.

"Aye," he replied, returning her smile. "I can't let you and Jack have all the fun." They began walking quickly. "So, what's the plan?"

"We head toward town to protect the evacuees and take out as many Jaffa as possible along the way." Sam took a deep breath. "We just need to hold them off long enough to give Jack a chance to get to the chair." At that moment, Sam heard the distinct sound of distant cannon fire.

"All right, then," he replied, his face now grim. "Let's go." He sheathed his short sword, and they picked up the pace.

As Sam jogged alongside Garrick, she couldn't help but think of Jack. He had been at the castle when the attack began and wasn't anywhere near the Fainnecloch. That meant he was going to have a long way to go, possibly through hostile territory, before he could provide them with any help in the fight.

She placed her hand momentarily over her abdomen. Though she had never hesitated in engaging the enemy, she now felt a sense of unease at the thought that she was carrying their child into battle. She took another deep breath and tried to remind herself that an hour ago she hadn't even been aware of his – her? – existence. She closed her eyes and made a conscious attempt to focus on the battle ahead. However, she couldn't quite rid herself of the notion that something about this was very, very wrong.

oOoOoOo

Jack heard the gliders first. He and Thane had been training a group of villagers in the proper use of staff weapons in the castle courtyard, when a he noticed a whining noise coming from the sky. He recognized the sound of the Death Glider immediately and knew then that the Morrigan had arrived early. "Crap," he muttered under his breath.

He grabbed the first villager he saw. "Sound the alarm; the Morrigan's here." In a louder voice, he told the group, "To your stations! Remember your training! You can do this!"

Bells began ringing throughout the castle as the alarm was raised. Jack searched for Ogden among the ensuing chaos. Finally locating the man, he ran up to him and clasped him on the shoulder. "This is it. You're in charge here. Keep as many men in the castle as you need to defend it, and send the rest out to help the villagers and take out the Jaffa."

Ogden clasped his hand. "Aye, Jack. We'll take care of things here. You just get yourself to the Fainnecloch."

Jack nodded once and turned to leave, Thane falling into step beside him. Initially, Jack had planned on making the trip alone, but Thane had insisted on coming along to provide assistance. "You mean 'back up,'" Sam had corrected him during the first of many strategy meetings. She had wholeheartedly agreed that he should accompany Jack, and that had been the end of the discussion.

Just as Jack and Thane were leaving the castle grounds, a third person walked up alongside them. "Eda?" Thane asked.

"I'm coming with you," she said, staring straight ahead and not slowing her pace. "I can help you. And don't try to tell me not to, Thane."

Jack was about to protest, but he then saw the look on Thane's face - a mixture of frustration and adoration - and decided that it wouldn't be worth the fight.

As the three of them approached the corner of the castle, Jack held up his fist, indicating that they should stop. He peeked around the corner and muttered, "Crap," for the second time that day. An Al-kesh was landing just outside the castle walls. As the hatch opened, dozens of Jaffa began to pour out of the craft.

Jack's first instinct was to stay and help with the fight, but he knew that he would do far more good if he could reach the chair, and the sooner, the better. He turned to Thane and Eda, and whispered, "There are Jaffa everywhere. We have to stay out of sight. Follow me."

Jack left the relative shelter of the castle and headed straight for the tree line, moving quickly. Once there, he waited for Thane and Eda to join him. "We'll have to stay to the forest as much as possible. We have a long way to go, and we need to get there fast." He cast a worried look in the direction of the castle. "I'm not sure how long they'll be able to hold the castle against those troops."

"I know the forest," said Eda. "Follow me." Jack gestured for her to take the lead, and they took off for the Fainnecloch under cover of the trees.

A large part of Jack wanted to run in the opposite direction and do nothing but search for Sam. He knew she would be making her way toward the castle, right into the heart of the Morrigan's forces. That had been the plan, after all, when they had discussed it several months ago. It had made perfect sense for her to lead the battle on the ground while he made his way to the chair. But now, all he could do was wonder where she was and worry about whether she was okay.

Jack tried to push such thoughts from his mind, as the three wound their way as quickly as possible through the forest. For the most part, they saw little activity, as the Morrigan's focus was elsewhere. What few Jaffa patrols they came across were easily avoided by sticking to the cover of the trees. However, the necessity of keeping to the forest was causing them to take much longer to reach the Fainnecloch than usual.

After almost two hours, they finally arrived on the edge of the clearing where the Fainnecloch was located. "Crap," Jack muttered yet again. At least ten Jaffa were milling around the standing stones, staff weapons at the ready.

"There are too many of them for us to take out in a frontal assault," he whispered to Thane and Eda. He looked at the two of them and cursed again, silently this time. Thane had a zat, but didn't have the most accurate aim, and Eda wasn't even armed. "Ideas?" he asked.

"I've got it," replied Eda, and before either of the men realized what was happening, she had taken off back into the wood.

"Eda!" Thane whispered, as loudly as he dared, but he received no response. Jack motioned for him to be quiet, and the two crouched down and waited.

It wasn't long before they heard a woman cry, "Help me! I've been injured!" from the trees opposite the Fainnecloch. The men watched as five of the Jaffa left the ring of stones to investigate.

"Nice," whispered Jack and motioned for Thane to follow him. "Oldest trick in the book, but it works every time."

Eda continued to wail, as Jack and Thane crept up behind the Jaffa who remained behind. They disabled them quickly, hoping that the noise she was making covered at least some of the noise of the zat fire. "Overplaying it a bit, don't you think?" he asked Thane, as Eda let out a particularly mournful cry.

The men quickly ran up behind the other Jaffa, who were still searching for the source of the noise, and dispatched them almost as quickly. Once the threat had been removed, Eda emerged from her hiding place high up in one of the trees.

"You're something else," Jack said to her, as they jogged back the Fainnecloch.

"Yes, she is," added Thane, with a smile. She beamed at him, as the three stepped into the center of the ring of stones. Instantly, the rings rose up around them, and in a flash of light they were gone.

oOoOoOo

Sam had fought her way into the town with Garrick and his short sword at her side. By the time they arrived, though, most of the villagers had already fled. So, after helping dispatch a few lingering Jaffa, Sam and Garrick made their way castle. As they crested a hill near the sight of the ancient structure, Sam saw a raging battle spread before her.

Everywhere she looked, Jaffa and villagers were locked in hand to hand combat. Blood soaked the ground, and the smell of charred flesh almost caused Sam to retch. She had to take a moment to steady herself, as she brought the back of her hand to her nose. She tapped down the wave of nausea that threatened to overwhelm her.

She took advantage of her respite to assess their situation. Though the Jaffa had more advanced weaponry and better battle skills, the villagers were holding their own, if only through sheer force of numbers.

The biggest problem, though, were the Death Gliders. They were assaulting the castle from the air, and Sam knew that the structure couldn't withstand much more. She watched as an entire side of the castle exploded into tiny pieces of stone, the rest crumbling to the ground, leaving a gaping hole into which several Jaffa ran.

At that moment, Sam noticed the sky dim perceptibly. She turned in the direction of the shadow and gasped. "Oh my god," she whispered. At least twenty Al-kesh were preparing to land, each presumably carrying dozens of Jaffa. Any advantage the villagers had by way of numbers would soon be lost.

The fear that Sam had been suppressing since the battle began surfaced unexpectedly. She closed her eyes. Something must have happened to Jack on his way to the Fainnecloch. He should have been there by now. She hung her head for a moment, as exhaustion and despair threatened to overwhelm her.

Suddenly, she heard an explosion that sounded different from the others. She looked up, just in time to see several yellow balls of flame shoot toward the Al-kesh and begin destroying them, one by one. Sam's heart lifted – Jack was in the chair!

Within minutes, all of the airborne Al-kesh were destroyed. The yellow missiles immediately began targeting the Death Gliders. By now, the villagers realized what was happening, and a cry of victory rose up from the troops. Motivated by their clear advantage in the air, they began fighting the Jaffa with even greater determination on the ground.

Sam herself took up the battle cry and ran into the heat of the action, taking out Jaffa with her zat as she moved effortlessly through the fray. As she neared the gate of the castle, she saw a large Jaffa fire his staff at a villager, then whirl around and immediately take aim at her before she could fire her zat.

As they stood staring at one another, weapons unwavering, Sam saw the golden emblem of a bird – the crow – emblazoned on his forehead. This, she assumed, was the Morrigan's first prime, and they were now locked in a classic standoff. Just then, she felt a large presence by her side and was relieved when she recognized the familiar shape of Garrick by her side.

"Drop it," Garrick said to the Jaffa. Sam saw out of the corner of her eye that he had acquired a zat, which he was now pointing at the Jaffa. Never breaking eye contact with Sam, the Jaffa lowered his staff weapon to the ground. "Now kick it away," he said. The Jaffa did as he was told, still watching Sam.

"Garrick, why didn't you just..." she started as she turned slightly toward the larger man. Immediately, though, Garrick trained his weapon on her. "What are you doing?" she asked, alarmed.

"I'm sorry, Sam, but I need you to throw your weapon to the side," he replied. "Do it!" he demanded, when she hesitated.

Sam did as instructed, and Garrick indicated that she should go stand by the Jaffa. She did a quick visual sweep of her surroundings on her way. No one was nearby and those who were closest weren't paying any attention to them.

"Garrick," she said, trying her best to stay calm. "What is this all about?"

The large man ignored her and addressed the Jaffa instead. "I need you to take me to see the Morrigan."

The Jaffa glowered at him. "She wants nothing to do with you. You are inconsequential to her."

Garrick looked pointedly at Sam. "Oh, I think I have something she might want."

oOoOoOo

Jack had been in the chair for several minutes now, his eyes closed and fingers working the strange gel-like substance in the armrests. All of sudden, his hands stopped moving. He opened his eyes and sat up abruptly. Thane and Eda got up from where they were sitting on the edge of the dais.

"What is it?" asked Thane. "Have you destroyed her ships?"

"All but her mother ship," he replied in a strained voice.

"So why not finish her off?"

Jack turned to look directly at Thane, his face stricken. "Because Sam and Garrick have been taken aboard."


	13. The Witch

The Morrigan paced the length of the pel'tak, her cloak of black feathers billowing out behind her as she walked. She stopped in front of the nearest display. "Where is he?" she demanded, her voice resonating with the strange timbre of the symbiote. She brought her fist down hard on the console, causing the Jaffa stationed there to jump ever so slightly. "If I find that imbecile has forgotten his duties in favor of his dick again, I will cut it off and feed it to him!"

Hak'nor watched as his fellow Jaffa paled visibly but otherwise did not react to her tirade. Wise man. Like him, the Jaffa had served too long aboard the Morrigan's ha'tak to make the mistake of drawing attention to himself during one of her rants. She had been increasingly prone to such behavior ever since Dagda had failed to make a scheduled report several weeks ago. When she couldn't raise him when they entered orbit, she had flown into a rage.

From the other end of the pel'tak, Hak'nor spoke. "My Lady, there is a report from our scout ship."

She spun to face him. "Speak!"

"He reports that the villagers are occupying the palace."

"What?" she seethed. "Is he dead then?"

Hak'nor read the display and turned to face her. "Unknown, my Lady. But there is no sign of Dagda or his Jaffa."

"The fool! Undoubtedly too consumed with the desires of the flesh to concern himself with his personal safety." She continued to pace. "I should have kept him on a much tighter leash," she muttered, staring off into the distance with a pensive look.

Hak'nor watched her closely. She was furious, yes, but underneath it all, she also seemed distressed.

He had never understood their relationship. He had been told that Dagda had been the Morrigan's equal once, as well as her lover, but when he spurned her, she brought the full brunt of her forces down upon him, conquering him in battle and ultimately banishing him to the planet below. There she had forced him to take as host the vilest human she could find, as punishment for his refusal of her. Hak'nor wasn't sure why she hadn't just killed him outright, but he suspected that some part of her still desired Dagda, though he would never dare mention his suspicions out loud.

"My Lady, shall we deploy the fleet?" Hak'nor asked.

She whirled to face him, her eyes flashing briefly. "Do whatever you must, but I want every last man, woman, and child on that planet rounded up and brought before me to face my wrath. Make no mistake, Hak'nor, I will have my vengeance, and it will be so extraordinarily brutal, they will be speaking of it for generations to come."

"Yes, my Lady," he replied, as he gave the order to attack.

Hak'nor watched the ensuing battle from his place on the pel'tak. Surprisingly, the villagers were actually resisting - and faring better than expected. With a growing sense of unease, he noticed that he was going to have to deploy additional troops to assist those already on the ground. Of course, once they arrived, they would make short work of what was left of the battle.

No sooner were the ships preparing to land, however, than they unexpectedly disappeared from his display. He read the information on the console with disbelief.

"My Lady!" Hak'nor exclaimed, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible. "Our Al-kesh have been destroyed!"

"What!" The Morrigan screamed. She rushed to the console to look at the display herself and inhaled sharply. "No! How can this be?" She turned to look at Hak'nor, and for the first time he could remember, he thought she looked frightened.

At that moment, their attention was drawn to a flash on the viewscreen. Hak'nor watched as the orbiting ships in the Morrigan's fleet came under attack from several glowing balls of flame. One by one, the ships were destroyed. "They have found an Ancient weapons platform," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the ha'tak. The Morrigan grasped Hak'nor by the front of his armor, nearly lifting the Jaffa off the ground. "Transport down to the source of the weapon and find out who is doing this. You must stop him before we all perish!" she yelled, her eyes wild. Yet another missile hit the ship. "Find him!" she screamed.

Hak'nor took off for the ring platform at a run, not daring to look back.

oOoOoOo

Jack pushed himself out of the chair and jumped off of the dais.

"Where are you going?" asked Thane, trying to keep up with him as he made his way out of the small room. Eda trailed behind them both.

"I'm going to get Sam," he replied without slowing his pace.

Thane jumped in front of him, placing a hand on his chest and bringing the military man up short. "And what of the people of Cian? If you leave now, they will be open to attack from her ship."

"I've taken out her engines and weapons. She'll be no threat to them from orbit." Jack pushed past Thane and turned in the direction of the ring platform.

"Tell him," Eda pleaded with Thane.

That caused Jack to pause. "Tell me what?"

Thane and Eda exchanged a look. "There's something you should know about Garrick," he replied.

"And that would be…?" Jack's voice was low and dangerous.

Thane closed his eyes and shook his head. "Garrick's oldest daughter, a child from his first marriage, was taken by the Morrigan many years ago. His wife died trying to protect her." Thane paused a moment to gather his thoughts. "Garrick was devastated. It was only much later, after he met Brigid, that he seemed to recover from his loss."

Jack was dumbfounded. "Now, you tell me this?" he yelled.

"I'm sorry, Jack. It's been many years. I had no idea he'd try to rescue her."

Jack stepped onto the platform, his face determined. Something about this didn't smell right. There was no way Sam would have accompanied Garrick on such a hair brained mission, at least not willingly.

Jack turned to Thane and Eda. "Unless you plan on staying down here, I would suggest you join me on the platform."

Thane and Eda stepped next to Jack. "Any idea how you're going to get aboard her ship?" asked Thane.

The rings began to rise from the floor. Jack grimaced. "I haven't figured that part out yet. But I will."

After a brief flash of light, the rings began to fall away again, and Jack saw that they were standing inside the familiar circle of stone monoliths. Suddenly, he heard the sound of staff weapons being primed. Jack looked around. Several Jaffa surrounded them.

"Humans! You will come with us," said the largest, appearing somewhat startled by their appearance.

Jack raised his hands, and the other two followed suit. "Well, on the bright side, I think we found our ride," he muttered.

The big Jaffa, plus one other, joined them on the platform and activated a remote. Once again the rings surrounded them, then fell away again to reveal the dim interior of what was unmistakably a Goa'uld ship.

Eda gasped. "Where are we?"

" _Now_ we're in the Morrigan's hold," Jack said wryly.

oOoOoOo

The Jaffa with the golden tattoo had reluctantly agreed to take Sam and Garrick aboard the Morrigan's ha'tak via the ring platform of a nearby Al-kesh, one of the few that had landed when the battle first began. Once aboard, Sam had been shoved down a long hallway, presumably toward the ship's pel'tak. She had used the time to attempt to persuade Garrick to tell her what was happening, but a sharp hit to the back of the head by the Jaffa had ensured her silence for the remainder the short journey.

When they entered the pel'tak, Sam's gaze was drawn immediately to the striking woman standing in front of the viewscreen. So this was the Morrigan.

In a single glance, Sam could tell that she was as cruel as she was beautiful. Her alabaster skin was offset by flaming red hair and a cloak of black feathers. Generous curves were barely contained by a tight black bodice that cinched her narrow waist. The expression on her face, though, was one of utter fury, presumably over the destruction visible from her viewscreen. Sam smiled slightly. Jack had done an excellent job of eradicating her fleet.

The Morrigan's green eyes flashed briefly as she took in their party. "Tel'mok, what have you brought me?" she purred, a cold smile now gracing her lips.

The Jaffa bowed. "My Lady -"

Garrick interrupted him. "I've come to trade."

Her eyes narrowed as she took in the large man. "And what could you have that I would possibly want, Garrick?"

Sam had to stifle a gasp. How did the Morrigan know his name?

"I've brought you the woman responsible for the death of Dagda. As you can see, she is quite beautiful. I want you to take her, in exchange for Aoife." Sam noticed that his voice broke on the last word.

The Morrigan approached Sam, extending a hand tipped with black talons to touch her face. Sam attempted to move away but found herself immediately restrained by the Jaffa, who was standing behind her. She cringed as the sharp talons began stroking her cheek.

"She is beautiful," her talons trailed the edge of her jaw line, "but I think she is too old to be of any use to me." She continued to run her talons over Sam's body, until she reached her abdomen. Her eyes glowed, and she spread her hand flat over the area. "Well, well," she said with a wicked smile, "it would appear that she might have something of value of after all."

She removed her hand and looked at the large man, who had paled significantly. "You have done well to bring her to me, Garrick."

At that moment, two more Jaffa entered the pel'tak, pushing Jack, Thane, and Eda in front of them. Sam's heart leapt at the sight of Jack. They locked eyes, and she could feel the relief emanating from him without his saying a word.

"My Lady," said the large Jaffa. "I believe we've found the ones responsible for operating the weapon."

The Morrigan crossed the pel'tak to stand in front of the group. "Which one of you has the power of the Ancients?" she asked.

No one spoke for a moment. Then Garrick volunteered, "It's the man with the silver hair."

"Garrick!" yelled Thane.

The Morrigan walked up to Jack and studied him closely. "Who are you?" she asked.

Garrick replied immediately. "He arrived with the woman. He is her husband."

Her eyes grew wide. "So the child is yours?" she asked Jack.

"I don't have any children, lady," he snapped.

She let out something between a huff and a laugh. She turned to Sam. "He doesn't know!" She let out a perverse giggle that had no humor in it whatsoever.

Jack whipped his head around to look at Sam, his mouth ajar. She met his eyes and tried to convey to him everything she couldn't tell him with words, that she was thrilled to carry his child but nervous about his reaction - and terrified of the Morrigan's apparent interest. She watched him carefully, as he slowly closed his mouth. His eyes softened and the corners of his lips turned up every so slightly, in an expression of acceptance and joy. It was all the reassurance she needed.

The moment was broken, however, as soon as the Morrigan approached Sam, who was still held by Tel'mok, and extended her talon tipped hand to cover her abdomen yet again. She closed her eyes, leaned her head back, and inhaled deeply.

"Get your hands off of her!" yelled Jack, but before he could move, Hak'nor had grabbed him around the neck and waist, effectively pinning him to the spot.

The Morrigan ignored him, keeping her hand in place. Her eyes flashed once again. "Ah, yes, but this is perfect." She lowered her head so that it was level with Sam's and looked her in the eye. "You couldn't have brought me a better gift, Garrick," she purred, keeping her gaze locked on Sam. "The moment this child is born, I will take her to raise as my own until she is ready to become my host."

"No!" whispered Sam, horrified.

"Like hell!" screamed Jack at the same time. He struggled against the large Jaffa, but it was no use. He was trapped.

The Morrigan backed away from Sam, her eyes now wild. "Then _I_ will have the power of the Ancients. I will rebuild my fleet on the backs of those who would defy me, and with this planet as my base, I will become the most powerful of all System Lords!"

"Garrick, what have you done?" asked Thane, his face ashen.

"My...my Lady," began Garrick. "What of Aoife? Surely you can release her now?"

The Morrigan turned on him and laughed. "You are a fool, Garrick. Even you must understand that I have no need to bargain for what I already have." Her cold smile returned. "Besides, it will be several years before this child of the Ancients is ready to become my host, and as you know, I have grown rather fond of this body."

Sam watched the exchange with dismay. Aoife was the host? Surely Garrick must have known that the Morrigan wouldn't give her up, at least not without killing her! Sam hung her head as she realized just how ill-conceived his plan had been. She closed her eyes. They had been so close to defeating her.

The same thought must have occurred to Garrick, because he immediately fell to his knees and began grasping at the bottom of the Morrigan's cloak. "Please," he begged, "please, my Lady! I ask only this one thing. Return her to me!" He started weeping as he continued to plead with her.

"Get off of me!" she yelled, kicking at him. "You're pathetic," she spat. "You should be thankful I don't slit your throat as I did your wife's!"

At that, something in Garrick snapped. In one fluid motion, he pulled out the zat he'd had stashed in his waistband and fired it at the Morrigan, his face a mask of desperation. She crumpled and fell to the ground.

Jack took advantage of the unexpected action to free himself of the grasp of the Jaffa holding him. He made a vicious jab at his throat that sent the Jaffa reeling backwards. Sam likewise elbowed her capturer, who had dropped his hold on her earlier, and dove for his zat. A staff blast flew over her head, and she quickly fired two shots in the direction from which it came, taking out the Jaffa on the other side of the pel'tak.

Sam looked up and saw that Jack had already disabled his Jaffa with his bare hands, and was now snapping the neck of the Jaffa who had been holding her. Thane had just pushed Eda out of the line of fire of the Jaffa standing nearest them, but Sam eliminated him immediately with two short zat blasts.

When the smoke cleared, four Jaffa lay dead on the floor of the pel'tak. Garrick was also on the floor weeping openly over the body of the Morrigan. As Jack approached them, the Morrigan opened her eyes.

"Shoot her, Garrick!" he yelled.

But the Morrigan looked up at the large man and said in soft voice, completely devoid of the Goa'uld timbre, "Father?"

"Aoife?" Garrick asked, tears streaming down his face.

"Yes, father." She lifted a hand to grasp his forearm. "Please…there's not much time. You must kill me. She…she will never let me go."

"No, Aoife." He smiled. "You've come back to me. She is gone."

Aoife shook her head. "Even now she is regaining her strength. I will not be able to hold her at bay much longer. Please! You must kill me. I…I cannot live like this any longer. You must release me from this prison."

But Garrick just shook his head. Aoife turned her gaze to Jack. "Please," she pleaded. Jack eased the zat out of Garrick's hand. She turned back to her father. "I love you."

Suddenly her eyes flashed and her expression turned bitter. Jack raised the zat and fired twice.

And then the Morrigan was gone.


	14. Goodbyes

Jack, Sam, Thane and Eda made a mad dash for the ha'tak's ring platform, Thane dragging a nearly catatonic Garrick behind him. Jack would have been just as happy to leave him, but Thane insisted on bringing him along and, surprisingly, Sam agreed.

As they made their way through the ship, they kept an eye out for Jaffa, but they either had been deployed to fight in the battle or had bigger concerns than the five fleeing humans, because they met no resistance. Within minutes, they had ringed down to the surface of the planet at the location of the Fainnecloch.

Thane and Eda decided it would be best to take Garrick straight home to Brigid. They set off in the direction of the farm, leaving Jack and Sam alone for the first time since the morning before the battle began.

Jack turned toward Sam, his face only partially visible in the moonlight. "So," he said simply.

"So," she replied cautiously, trying to read him in the dark.

He scratched the back of his head. "Pregnant, huh?"

"Apparently."

He blew out a large breath. "This is a surprise."

"A good one?" she asked hopefully.

Jack's face broke into a wide smile. "The best," he replied.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her for several minutes. Sam felt herself slowly relax into his embrace, as any remaining concerns she had about the pregnancy began melting away. He let go just long enough to lift her face to his, so he could give her a long, deep kiss. Both breathless, they finally broke apart.

"Come on," he said, still smiling. "We've still got a little work to do before we can really celebrate."

Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her quickly back into the center of the ring of stones. Immediately, they were transported to the chamber below. Jack walked over to the chair and sat down, the entire thing coming to life at his touch.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked.

"Tying up some loose ends," he replied. Instantly, a hologram appeared above Jack's head, and Sam watched as the display showed several glowing missiles take out the ha'tak and all remaining ships orbiting Cian.

"Jack, wait!" she said suddenly. "How are we going to get home?"

He sat up in the chair. "There's an Al'kesh and a couple of Tel'taks still on the ground. I thought we could use one of those to make our way to the nearest Stargate." He indicated the direction of the ring platform with his head. "Come here. I want to try something."

She joined him once again on the platform. Jack closed his eyes, and they were transported, but much to Sam's surprise, not to the Fainnecloch. She looked around. They appeared to be inside another Goa'uld ship.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"The Al'kesh," he replied. "The one on the ground near the castle."

"How did you do that?" She was a little shocked.

He shrugged. "I just thought about where I wanted to go. Pretty cool, huh?" He took off for the hatch of the ship.

She looked at him through narrowed eyes as she trailed behind. "How come that doesn't work for me?"

"Maybe I'm just born with it." He gave her cocky look over his shoulder, which she completely ignored.

She stopped suddenly and snapped her fingers. "Of course! That makes perfect sense."

Jack's smug look morphed into one of confusion, as he turned around to face her. "What makes perfect sense?"

"The Morrigan seemed to think our baby would have the same power. Maybe this ability you have is genetic," she explained.

Jack shook his head and continued walking. "Well, either way, I think it would be preferable if he got most of his genes from you."

"She," Sam corrected him immediately, as she fell into step beside him.

"Huh?"

"The Morrigan said the baby is a girl," she replied, as if that ended the discussion.

Jack, however, was skeptical. "How would she know?"

"She knew I was pregnant," Sam pointed out.

"Well, we'll see," he replied, still unconvinced. "I was under the impression there's a fifty-fifty chance it could go either way."

She gave him a humoring smile. "If you say so, Jack."

By then, Sam and Jack had made their way to the exit of craft. When the hatch opened and they stepped out, they were met by several villagers brandishing weapons.

"Whoa! Hold on!" yelled Jack, holding both hands up in the air. "It's just us."

Ogden emerged from the group. "Jack?" He squinted at the two of them. "Jack! Sam! We thought you were dead!"

"Not us," he grinned from ear to ear, "but I'm pleased to report that ding, dong, the witch is dead!" At that, a huge cheer went up from the rapidly gathering crowd.

Jack leaned over and whispered to Sam, "I've always wanted to say that." She just rolled her eyes.

Jack and Sam walked with Ogden through the battlefield as they briefed each other on what had happened in their respective absences. According to Ogden, once the Morrigan's ships were destroyed, the villagers were eventually able to overwhelm her remaining Jaffa, though the victory had come at a high price.

Everywhere they looked, the dead were being removed from the field and covered, while the injured were being transported to a makeshift infirmary, of sorts. It was a sobering scene, and a grim reminder that regardless of where in the universe people were fighting for freedom, it was rarely ever won without significant sacrifice.

As they entered the area where the wounded were being treated, Jack and Sam ran into an old acquaintance.

"Gytha?" Jack asked, seeing the old woman with wild hair and mismatched eyes extending her healing device over the body of a severely injured man.

When the Crone was done tending to her patient's wounds, she turned to face him. "You have done well, silver man." She turned to look at Sam. "You too, marked one."

"It would seem that you are the one currently doing the most good," Jack replied.

"Aye, I offer what little assistance I can." She began to turn back to the wounded.

"Gytha," asked Sam, "may I ask you how you are able to operate this device?" She indicated the healing device.

"Do you not understand?" She asked, as she grasped Sam's arm. When Sam just shook her head, she continued. "Like you, I once shared my body with a demon." She paused for a moment, then added, "I was the Morrigan's host before she took Aoife."

Sam gasped. "She let you live?"

"She did not intend to, no. But in her haste to possess Aoife, who was far more beautiful than I, she forgot to release the poison that would have killed me." She shrugged. "She abandoned me here, leaving only this device behind."

"It is fortunate for all of us that she did," said Jack.

"Yes," added Sam. "Thank you for what you are doing here and for saving me."

"You are welcome," she replied, her eyes twinkling, "and congratulations."

Sam gaped at her. "How did you...?"

"I am able to heal all manner of injuries, child," she said cryptically, giving her a wink.

oOoOoOo

Over the next few days, Sam and Jack helped the villagers bury their dead and begin rebuilding their lives. They also conducted a few trials with the chair, based on Sam's theory about genetics, and found two families with members who could also operate it. This discovery meant that the people of Cian could continue to defend themselves even after Jack left, which was a great relief to everyone.

A large number of individuals pleaded with Sam and Jack to stay and lead them, but they refused, insisting that they needed to return to their own planet. So, on the night before they were planning to leave, the villagers threw a huge celebration in their honor.

Much like the Harvest Celebration, there was an abundance of food, drink, and entertainment. Everyone was in high spirits. Sam and Jack even danced to the same song they had so many months before, and as he held her to him, it occurred to Jack that although he was anxious to get home, he wasn't ready for this to end.

He had spent the last eight months essentially married to the woman he loved, the woman he'd believed he couldn't have, and he had never been happier. All of the concerns he'd had before they arrived on Cian about whether things could actually work between them were completely gone. They were meant to be together; he was sure of that now, and nothing else mattered. He knew exactly what he needed to do.

Before long, Sam realized she was getting tired, so they said their goodbyes and began to make their way back to their cabin. It was a beautiful night, and Sam was enjoying her last night on Cian as she walked hand in hand with Jack. The sky was completely clear, and the stars were shining brightly. It was still quite cool, but the snow was already melting, and there was a hint of spring in air.

Sam had noticed that Jack was particularly quiet, but she assumed he was simply lost in his thoughts, like her. So he took her completely by surprise when he stopped suddenly at the top of a hill near their cabin, turned toward her, and grasped both her hands in his.

"Marry me," he said, out of the blue.

Sam wasn't sure she heard him correctly. "What?"

"Marry me," he said again, and Sam noticed that his eyes were twinkling in the moonlight.

She smiled at him, and tried to play it cool, though thousands of butterflies were taking flight in her stomach. "We're already supposed to be married."

He looked at her earnestly now. "I mean for real, when we get home. Marry me."

"What about our commissions?" she asked. She knew now that she would be willing to give up the military, but she still wasn't sure about Jack.

But he had already thought long and hard about frat regs. "I have a plan. We can make it work. Just, trust me."

Sam threw her hands up in the air and laughed. "Jack, this is crazy. You haven't even told me you love me."

"I haven't?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

She put her hands on her hips. "Nope."

"Well," he floundered for moment, "it's pretty obvious, isn't it?"

"Maybe, but it would still be nice to hear the words."

"Okay, I love you," he said quickly. "I have _always_ loved you, from the first day when you marched into that conference room and challenged me to arm wrestle, through alien viruses and freezing to death, time travel and alternate realities, and…and going to hell and za'tarc testing and time loops and memory stamps and every other crazy thing we've seen and done, to right here at this very moment, where I swear to god, Sam, I love you more than life itself." He took a breath. "Now, marry me."

Sam ducked her head and looked at him through lowered lashes, unable to keep the tears at bay. He really wanted to do this! And so did she. More than anything.

He was starting to get antsy. "Damn it, Sam. Say something!"

"Yes," she said finally, beaming at him.

"Yes?" he asked, as though he couldn't believe it.

"Yes!" she laughed.

Jack swept her up and spun her around, and they were both laughing now. He set her on her feet and kissed her soundly, but she broke away and ran giggling down the hill toward the cabin. Jack gave chase, catching up to her at the doorstep.

He backed her up slowly against the door and put his hands on either side of her head, and Sam saw desire, as well as love, in his eyes now. "What do you say we get in a little practice for the honeymoon?" he whispered in her ear, causing goose bumps to erupt all over her skin.

"I'm thinking about saving myself for marriage," she teased.

"Mmmm, a little late for that, don't ya think?" he murmured, as he kissed her from her ear all the way down the curve of her neck.

She wrapped her arms around him, helpless to resist him. "You may have a point," she replied, her voice rough. He kissed her again, more passionately this time, and she returned the kiss in kind.

Jack turned the knob on the door behind her, and they fell into the cabin. Within moments, their clothes were on the floor, and the remainder of the night was filled with the sound of soft sighs, low moans, and the occasional appeal to a higher being.

Much, much later, Jack curled his naked body around Sam's and pulled her closer to him, placing his hand protectively over her lower abdomen. She snuggled into him, and right before she drifted off to sleep, it occurred to her that she was the happiest woman in the world - even if it wasn't her own.

oOoOoOo

Sam and Jack woke early the next morning and made their way across the mist covered hills toward their means of transport off the planet. They had chosen a Tel'tak near the castle for their trip, the one that was in the best shape, with all of its crystals intact. When they arrived at the location of the ship, they were surprised to see a small group there waiting to see them off.

"We will miss you, Jack," said Thane, clasping the military man's hand. "Thank you. For everything you've done for us." He then turned and kissed Sam squarely on the lips. "Keep him in line," he said to her with a wink. Eda shot Thane a stern look before saying her goodbyes. Several others followed quickly with their best wishes, including Ogden, Beldon, and many of the villagers they had come to know well during their time on Cian.

From the back of the crowd, two people hesitantly came forward. Sam crossed the space immediately when she saw who it was and threw her arms around Brigid. "Thank you, Sam, for bringing him back to me," the older woman whispered in her ear. Sam nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes.

She then turned to Garrick. He looked pale and defeated and approached her timidly. Suddenly, the huge man burst into tears. "I'm so sorry!" he wept.

Sam hugged him. "It's okay. I forgive you, Garrick," she mumbled into his massive chest. She looked up at him and grabbed his forearms. "Be good to Brigid and the twins."

He released her and turned to look at Jack, who simply nodded. He wasn't prepared to forgive the man just yet, but he had to acknowledge that Garrick had helped them tremendously during most of their stay on Cian.

With one final wave to the group of villagers, Sam and Jack boarded the Tel'tak. Within moments, they were airborne. They watched as the people, then the trees, and finally the snow covered hills faded into the distance as they made their way into the atmosphere.

"I'll miss them," Sam said quietly.

Jack grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Me too."

He placed both hands back on the control orb, as Sam turned her attention to the console.

"Where to?" Jack asked as he piloted the ship into space.

"I'm entering the coordinates for the closest uninhabited planet with a Stargate, at least according to this database," Sam said, reading the display on the console. "It'll be the fastest way to get back to Earth."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that," said Jack. "We can't dial Earth directly. Even if everything's okay, we don't have an IDC."

"Alpha Site, then?" asked Sam.

Jack nodded. "It makes the most sense. If Earth was destroyed, at least some of our people will be there. They'll know if anything's happened. Plus, they can get us to Earth from there if all's well."

It wasn't long before they approached the planet Sam had found. Once they had located the Stargate, they set the Tel'tak down a few klicks away and walked the remaining distance, with the hope that they might be able to send someone back for the craft at a later date.

As they made their way across the flat and treeless terrain, Sam couldn't help but compare this planet's dry and dusty landscape to the rolling green hills of Cian. She felt a pang of loss and the sudden irrational desire to return to the planet she had begun to think of as home. She shook her head to clear it. She needed to focus – she had a home already, and she desperately needed to find out what happened to it.

Sam walked up to the DHD and began inputting the coordinates for the Alpha Site. She held her breath as she depressed the large orange crystal in the middle. Suddenly, a wormhole blossomed out from the 'gate, and she heard Jack give a small cheer.

They approached the ramp to the 'gate. "You know," Jack started, "there's a possibility that the Alpha Site may have an iris now."

"Or that it was also attacked, and the 'gate is lying on its side," she added.

Jack looked sideways at Sam. "We can always go back, you know. We don't have to do this."

She turned to face him. "Yes, I think we do."

He gave her a small smile and nodded his head, as he began walking up the ramp. "Of course, on the bright side, if we don't make it, I won't have to tell your father that I knocked you up."

"Yes, there is that," she said wryly, following behind him.

Jack extended his hand, and Sam took it, intertwining their fingers. "I love you, Sam," he said softly.

"I love you too, Jack," she replied, her eyes bright.

And with that, they walked straight into the event horizon without looking back.


	15. The Return

"Unscheduled off-world activation!" Sergeant Harriman's voice reverberated off the walls of the SGC control room, but General Hammond was already rounding the bottom step of the staircase, having started moving in that direction the moment the klaxons sounded.

"What do we have, Sergeant?" he asked in his Texan drawl.

Harriman read the information scrolling across his computer screen. "It's the Alpha Site's IDC, sir, video only."

"Put it on the monitor."

Harriman hit the appropriate button, and a grainy image of the Alpha Site commander appeared on the screen.

"What can we do for you, Colonel Riley?" asked Hammond.

"Greetings, General. And I think it's more what we can do for you." He looked at something off-camera and smiled widely. "We've got some people here we think you might be very happy to see, sir. Permission to send them through?"

Hammond didn't blink an eye as Daniel and Teal'c sidled up beside him to see what was happening. It was a practice they had maintained even after Sam and Jack had disappeared.

"I think you better tell me who you've got there, son," Hammond said sternly.

From somewhere off camera, he heard a voice he had never expected to hear again. "But that would ruin the surprise!"

Daniel pointed at the monitor, his mouth agape. "Was that...?"

"O'Neill," Teal'c supplied.

"Open the iris!" Hammond commanded before he turned to follow Daniel and Teal'c, who were already making their way down to the 'gate room.

The three stood staring at the now open wormhole, surrounded by a group of Marines with their weapons trained on the 'gate. After several long seconds, two smiling figures emerged, dressed in strange clothes and sporting somewhat longer hair, but otherwise appearing healthy and happy. "Luuuuu-ceeeee, we're home!" Jack sang, as he and Sam walked down the ramp.

Hammond gave the signal for the Marines to stand down and walked up to greet his missing officers. "Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter - welcome back!" He grinned from ear to ear, and in a very un-Hammond-like manner, caught Jack up in a bear hug. Daniel likewise threw his arms around Sam, and as they continued to exchange greetings, more people poured into the 'gate room. Someone started clapping, and almost immediately the room erupted with applause and cheering.

oOoOoOo

Everyone was anxious to debrief, but Hammond insisted that Jack and Sam visit the infirmary first. Several people stopped and stared as they walked through the halls of the SGC, with Daniel and Teal'c in tow.

Daniel was practically nipping at Jack's heels like a puppy. "Come on, guys, can't you at least give us a hint where you've been all this time, what you've been doing?"

"I told you, Daniel, it's a very long, very boring story, and you know how I hate repeating myself." He looked sideways at Sam, and she snorted in response.

"Ah ha!" exclaimed Daniel, pointing at Sam. "See that! Right there! That proves something good happened."

Teal'c diplomatically interrupted. "Is there anything you require, O'Neill?"

"Yes! Yes, as a matter of fact, there is, T. I need a pizza, the biggest one you can find, topped with mounds of sausage and peppers and onions. And I need a Guinness and - ooh, I'm a whole season behind on the Simpsons..."

Teal'c cut him off, mid sentence. "Major Carter?"

"All I really want is a hot shower and a toothbrush," she replied longingly.

"Come on, Sam. Where's your imagination?" Jack teased.

"Trust me, Jack. Little yellow cartoon characters rank far, far below personal hygiene in my list of priorities."

"Well I guess that our lists are a little different, then." He grinned at her and said in a low voice, "That gonna be a problem for you?"

She shot Jack a warning glance, and Daniel's mouth fell open at the exchange. He was even further shocked when he saw Jack put his hand ever so briefly at the small of Sam's back as they walked into the infirmary. He stopped and looked at Teal'c, who raised a single eyebrow in reply.

"It would appear that the nature of Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter's relationship has changed over the course of the past several months," Teal'c said to Daniel.

Daniel crossed his arms as they stood staring after the two officers. "You don't think they...?"

"Indeed."

Their conversation was interrupted, however, by the commotion caused by the arrival of Jack and Sam in the infirmary. News of their return had apparently not yet made its way to the medical level of the base.

Janet Fraiser spun around to admonish her staff about the noise, then promptly dropped her clipboard and let out a gasp of her own when she saw the two people who had just walked into her domain.

"Oh my god," she said, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth. "Oh my god! Sam! Colonel! We thought you were gone." She rushed up to hug first Jack, then Sam. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you, too," Sam replied. Still embracing the tiny doctor, she whispered, "I have news, Janet. Can I get a private examination room?"

Janet pulled back to look at her, momentarily alarmed, but when she saw the light in her friend's eyes, she gasped again. "You don't mean...?" She looked sideways at Jack.

Sam nodded, and Janet turned to her staff, all business now. "Let's set up Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter in the private rooms. They've been gone a long time, and I want a full work-up on both."

She led Sam out of the open infirmary, passing Daniel and Teal'c along the way. When they made a move to follow, she held up her hand. "I'm sorry gentlemen, but you'll have to wait here. You can have them back after I'm done with them."

"That sounds ominous," Jack muttered, as he trailed behind.

Janet gave him a sly smile. "Oh, I have several big needles reserved just for you, Colonel."

"You know, there are some things about this place I haven't missed."

oOoOoOo

"That story was neither long nor boring, O'Neill," Teal'c commented from across the large table.

All four members of SG-1 were seated in the SGC briefing room in their traditional fashion, Daniel and Teal'c on one side of the table and a freshly showered Jack and Sam on the other, with General Hammond at the head. The officers had just finished wrapping up a slightly abbreviated version of all that had transpired since they entered hyperspace in the X-302 several months prior.

Daniel had interrupted so many times that Hammond had eventually ordered him to hold all his questions until the end. He was nearly bursting at the seams now.

"So...so, this Morrigan," he began. "Did she have red hair, pale skin, black cloak made of feathers?"

Jack narrowed his eyes at Daniel. "How did you know that?"

"This is incredible. I know her. Well, I don't _know_ her, but she was one of the Goa'uld in attendance at the summit of System Lords I attended last year, when I was undercover as Yu's lotar."

"She was _there_?" Jack asked, unbelieving.

"It was in the report, Jack."

"Yes, yes of course it was." His voice trailed off, and he intentionally avoided Hammond's gaze.

Daniel continued. "Anyway, she was a powerful Goa'uld, in the service of Anubis. Killing her had to be a major blow to his alliance."

"Excellent," Jack said in his best Mr. Burns voice.

But Daniel wasn't finished. "She also had quite a presence in Celtic folklore, here on Earth. She was known as the crow or raven goddess, as well as the goddess of death, war, and strangely enough, fertility." At that, Jack and Sam exchanged a look. "Many believed her to be a witch or sorceress. She was also known as the Phantom Queen or Queen of Demons and was considered a triad goddess who could take the form of maiden, mother, or crone."

Jack nodded. "That's her, all right."

"Daniel," Sam interjected. "How does Dagda fit in?"

"Well, I don't think he was with the Morrigan at the summit, but he does show up in Irish mythology. He's often identified as the Morrigan's consort."

"Her consort? As in..." Jack made a vague gesture with his hands, and when Daniel nodded he winced. "Really? Ew."

"Well, some texts describe him as powerful and handsome, while others depict him as rather crude, with an insatiable desire for the carnal pleasures."

"Trust us. It's the latter," replied Sam. She shuddered and moved quickly to the next topic. "So, do you think the people of Cian were originally from Earth?"

Daniel nodded. "Based on what you've told us, I think it's safe to assume they were most likely transplanted from Ireland thousands of years ago. But what I really want to hear more about is this chair you found. You said you thought it was Ancient?"

"The architecture of the room the chair was sitting in was definitely not local or Goa'uld," Sam replied. "And there were engravings on the stones surrounding the platform on the surface. I'm fairly sure they were Ancient."

Daniel leaned forward, clearly excited by the news. "I don't suppose you took any rubbings?" Jack gave Daniel a withering look, and he reined in his enthusiasm somewhat. "Right. But you said it reminded you of Stonehenge?"

"Yep, it looked just like it," Jack confirmed.

"Huh. The remains of similar monolithic structures can be found all over northern Europe - Avebury, the Ring of Brodgar, the Standing Stones of Stenness, Callanish, and the list goes on. It's possible one might have a cavern underneath it, similar to what you found on Cian, maybe even with its own chair..." Daniel drifted off, lost in thought.

Hammond nodded. "Well if that chair does what you say it does, Colonel, that would be something worth checking out. I'll get a team on it right away."

Jack took advantage of the momentary silence. "So now it's our turn to ask some questions." He looked at Hammond. "How the heck were you able to avoid being blown to smithereens, sir? And don't tell me that McKay guy had anything to do with it."

Hammond huffed. "Actually, McKay almost got us blown up sooner rather than later. After you disappeared, we thought we were done for. If not for Teal'c, we wouldn't be sitting here right now."

"The credit belongs to my son." The Jaffa's pride was unmistakable. "Rya'c was the one who destroyed the weapon Anubis was using to attack Earth."

"And none too, soon, I might add," Hammond interjected. "We literally had seconds left before the Stargate would have exploded. Luckily, Rya'c destroyed the weapon in time. The people of Earth owe an extreme debt of gratitude to you and your son, Teal'c."

The Jaffa inclined his head toward Hammond, who then turned toward Jack and Sam. "After the crisis passed, we began looking for you. We contacted all of our allies, but none had heard from you. It was only after the Asgard reported that you had not made contact with them that we began to lose hope. After six weeks, I declared you MIA. We feared the worst."

Sam looked concerned. "Has word been sent to my father that we've returned, sir?"

"I contacted the Tok'ra, but they told me your father is currently deep undercover. They said they would let him know as soon as possible, though I got the feeling that might be awhile."

Sam nodded, and the room fell silent.

"So what happens now?" Daniel asked.

Hammond spread his hands and looked around the table. "As far as I'm concerned, Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter can rejoin SG-1 as soon as they feel they're ready."

Jack glanced at Sam, then turned back toward Hammond. "Sir, may we have a word with you, in your office?"

"Of course," he replied, as he rose from the table. He caught the look that passed between Daniel and Teal'c as Jack and Sam got up to follow him, then motioned for their teammates to follow. Hammond thought he had a good idea of what was coming.

Throughout the debriefing, he had watched his two officers closely and found himself wondering just how close they had become during their eight months together on the other planet. Jack had mentioned that he had led the locals to believe that Sam was his wife, a practice that was standard protocol when dealing with unknown cultures. But there had been no discussion of living arrangements or their daily lives together.

One thing was clear, though. All formality between the two was completely gone. Not only did they refer to each other by their first names, but Sam would freely interrupt or correct Jack, and he never said a word. Every once in awhile they would smile at one another or touch each other on the arm. In the six years he had known them, he had never seen them behave so casually, not even when off duty.

Hammond didn't want to believe that they had engaged in any inappropriate behavior, but the evidence was difficult to deny. He knew the two had developed carefully guarded feelings for each other long before that fateful flight. Even without such history, it really wasn't reasonable to expect them to have kept their relationship strictly professional over the course of eight long months together. No, it was crystal clear to him that at some point during their stay on Cian, Jack and Sam had transitioned from officers to friends - and quite possibly, lovers. If he was right, there wouldn't be much he could do to protect the two from being brought up on charges. Either way, he figured he was about to find out.

He closed the door and motioned for the two officers to sit down. Daniel and Teal'c stood behind them, near the door. "What's on your mind, Colonel?"

"I'm afraid I won't be able to rejoin SG-1, sir."

"Oh?" Hammond said with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, sir." He cleared his throat. "I've decided to retire. Again."

"What?" asked Daniel, the shock evident in his voice.

Jack ignored him. "In fact, technically, I decided to retire about four months ago, while I was still on Cian." He smirked. "Of course, I couldn't reach anyone in the Air Force at the time. So I apologize for the delay in notifying you, but I'd like to make my retirement retroactive to four months prior to today."

"May I ask why?" added Hammond.

"Because four months ago, I realized that I was no longer qualified to serve as Major Carter's commanding officer." He paused. "While on the planet, we decided to pursue a personal relationship inconsistent with our reporting relationship." He smiled at Sam, and she ducked her head. "In fact, I've asked her to marry me, and amazingly she's agreed."

Stunned silence filled the room. "I see," Hammond said finally, his suspicions now confirmed. "I assume that a retirement occurring four months ago would pre-date any personal relationship with Major Carter?"

"Yes, sir," Jack replied.

Hammond considered his request. A retroactive retirement just might work, though it was a damn shame to lose such a fine officer. But he didn't see any alternative that wouldn't end with them both being disciplined. He sighed and shook his head. "In that case, Colonel, I think I have no choice but to accept your request to retire retroactive to four months prior to today."

"Thank you, sir," Jack replied.

"But General," Daniel began, "surely some exception can be made. They were trapped off world for close to a year…"

Hammond held up a hand, and the archeologist fell silent. "I'm afraid the Air Force doesn't see it that way, son. Even under the most difficult circumstances, officers are expected to maintain certain standards, and a personal relationship between a commanding officer and his subordinate is prohibited."

He turned to address Sam. "Major Carter, I assume you will want to stay with SG-1?"

"Actually, sir, I would like to request to be removed from a front line team."

Daniel threw his hands up in the air. "This...this is crazy! We just got you back, and now you both want to leave?" He looked at Sam. "Look, even if Jack retires and you marry him, you could still stay on SG-1, right? Why would you leave?"

She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant, Daniel." She looked toward General Hammond now, his face unreadable. "Somewhere between 12 and 16 weeks, according to Janet."

"Oh," Daniel replied, unsure of what else to say.

An uncomfortable silence descended on the room once again. Teal'c looked at Hammond and each of the other members of SG-1 in turn, puzzled by their somewhat somber demeanor. After a moment, he spoke.

"I do not understand. Our friends we thought lost have returned to us. Yet another System Lord has been defeated. O'Neill and Major Carter have committed to one another, and Major Carter is with child. Is this not cause for great celebration?"

Sam beamed at the Jaffa. "Thank you, Teal'c."

"Thanks, T," added Jack.

"I guess I was just a little shocked, that's all," Daniel said, sheepishly.

"You're damn right it's cause for celebration, Teal'c," Hammond said finally, his features softening. He turned to address Jack directly. "But this is by no means a done deal, Colonel. Even though I've accepted your decision to retire, there's no guarantee I won't be overruled." He stood, and Jack and Sam followed suit. "Now, if you all will excuse me, I've got some phone calls to make."

The four teammates filed out of Hammond's office. Before he left, though, Jack caught the doorframe and looked back at his commanding officer. "So, will there be cake?" he asked with a half grin.

Hammond huffed. "Don't push your luck, son. Oh, and Jack?"

"Sir?"

"I would suggest that if you plan on marrying Major Carter, you do it sooner rather than later. Your retirements have a history of being short-lived."

His grin grew larger. "Yes, sir."


	16. Arrivals

Brigadier General Jack O'Neill sat in his office engaging in his new favorite activity, procrastination. God, he hated paperwork. Still, he could hardly complain. Things had worked out better than he ever could have imagined after he and Sam had returned from Cian. He sat back in the big chair and pondered the events of the last six months.

Jack had taken Hammond's advice and had married Sam within two weeks of their return. He smiled as he thought about the ceremony. It had been a small wedding at his cabin, the local Justice of the Peace presiding. Only their closest friends had been there - Daniel and Teal'c, of course, with Janet and Cassie attending Sam.

Hammond had agreed to give the bride away since Jacob was nowhere to be found. Jack had felt badly about that, but Sam had assured him that it was fine, since there was no telling when they'd hear from Jacob and, according to Sam, he'd probably insist on holding a shotgun anyway. Plus, she'd made it abundantly clear that she had no desire to get married in a maternity dress.

He smiled to himself. She had been absolutely gorgeous in a simple white shift, with the setting sun highlighting her hair and making her blue eyes sparkle. Of course, she'd looked even better later that night, lying naked in his arms after they'd made love in the old four poster that had been in his family for generations.

While he had enjoyed his limited time off with Sam after their wedding, the moment she had returned to work, he had started getting bored. So, when the call had come two months later that General Hammond was being promoted to Homeworld Security and the President had insisted that Jack return from retirement to take the now open position of Commander of the SGC, he had jumped at the opportunity. He'd even gotten a promotion in the process.

The only hitch in accepting the job, of course, had been Sam. But the President had already thought of that, and at the same time he had been offered Hammond's job, Sam had been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and officially given the role of head of Research and Development at the SGC, reporting directly to Colonel Brooks at Area 51.

Jack let his thoughts linger on his wife. Damn, if she wasn't even more beautiful than ever. He chuckled, knowing that she would not agree with that sentiment. The fact was that she was now two weeks past her due date, all manner of cranky, and absolutely huge with child. His child. That thought always brought him up short. Though he was nervous about being a father again, he was also ridiculously proud of and completely humbled by the small miracle she carried.

Just as Jack was contemplating how good his life was at the moment, the klaxons sounded unexpectedly, rousing him from his thoughts. Thankful for a legitimate distraction from the never ending pile of paperwork still sitting before him, he walked out of his office and down into the control room.

"Whatcha got, Walter?" he asked, clasping the Sergeant on the shoulder.

Harriman checked his display. "Tok'ra IDC, sir."

Jack gestured toward the 'gate. "Open it up."

The iris retracted, and a lone figure walked through the wormhole. "Oh, crap," Jack's swore, when he realized who it was. "He couldn't have waited just a few more days?" he muttered to himself.

"Sir?" asked Harriman.

Jack began making his way toward the stairs. He shouted instructions to Harriman over his shoulder. "Call Colonel Carter, and tell her to meet me in the 'gate room."

"Yes, sir." Harriman paged Sam as ordered, then immediately placed a call to Master Sergeant Siler. He was not going to want to miss this, Harriman thought with a smirk.

Jack walked into the 'gate room just as the wormhole disengaged. "Jacob!" he exclaimed.

Jacob Carter walked down the ramp, extending his hand toward the younger man, a wide smile on his face. "Jack! I came as soon as I heard. Sorry it took so long." He shook his hand enthusiastically. "No offense, but I never thought I'd be so happy to see you." His mood suddenly turned serious, and he grasped his hand more firmly. "Listen, Jack, really. I thought you were both dead. Thank you for bringing my little girl back safe and sound. I owe you."

Jacob finally released his hand, and Jack held up both index fingers. "I'm going to need you to remember you said that, Jacob."

"Okaaay," he replied cautiously. He looked around the 'gate room. "So where's Sam?"

"I've had her paged. She should be on her way down now." Jack took a deep breath. It's now or never, he thought. "Look, Jacob, you should know that some things have changed since the last time you were here…"

At that moment, Sam walked into the 'gate room, and Jack noticed with some degree of relief that she must have been wearing Teal'c's BDU shirt, because it was the only thing big enough to cover her stomach. Sure enough, she was trailed by Daniel and the large Jaffa, who was clad only in a T-shirt.

She smiled at her father. "Dad!"

"Sammie! I am so glad to see you, kiddo!" Jacob began to pull his daughter into an embrace and immediately noticed the large, hard bump blocking his access. He parted the BDU shirt and stared at the black T-shirt stretched tight across her fully rounded belly. "What's this?" he asked, confused.

Sam turned toward Jack, who motioned for her to say something. "Um, Jack and I have some news, Dad. Maybe we should go up to the briefing room?"

But Jacob Carter did not move an inch, other than to look back and forth between Sam and Jack, his expression rapidly darkening.

"Look, Jacob..." Jack started.

"You son of bitch!" Jacob roared. Out of nowhere, his fist flew up and instantly made contact with Jack's jaw.

Up in the control room, Harriman and Siler both cringed as they watched Jack go down, hard. Not missing a beat, Harriman spoke into the comm. "Medical team to the 'gate room." With a self-satisfied smile, he then held his hand out to Siler, who rolled his eyes and reluctantly slipped him a twenty.

Back on the floor of the 'gate room, Sam was trying to bend down to help Jack but quickly realized there was no way she could get to his level gracefully. Seeing her intent, Daniel bent down to help his friend instead.

Now seething, Sam whirled to face her father. "That was completely uncalled for, Dad. We're _married_!"

"And did that happen before or after he did this to you?" Selmak was attempting to calm Jacob down, to no avail.

"He didn't _do_ anything to me…"

"Oh really, Sam? I beg to differ." He indicated her stomach.

The medics arrived then and began tending to Jack, who was still on the floor.

"Look, Dad, this is neither the time nor the…." Suddenly, Sam got a strange look on her face. She grabbed Teal'c's arm. "Oh." She placed her other hand on her belly and looked down at the floor.

Jacob went from anger to concern instantly. "What is it?"

"Are you well, Major Carter?" asked Teal'c.

Sam looked up at them, slightly dazed. "I think my water broke."

"What?" Jacob yelled. He grabbed one of the medics treating Jack. "Hey! My daughter just went into labor!"

The pronouncement resulted in a flurry of activity. Immediately, the two medics turned their attention to Sam, releasing their hold on Jack who, just having just sat up, fell back to the floor with a groan. Jacob helped Sam onto the gurney originally intended for Jack, and the medics wheeled her quickly out of the 'gate room and toward the infirmary with everyone but Daniel and a prone Jack trailing behind her.

Daniel helped Jack sit up again. He rubbed his jaw and looked around. "What happened?"

"Jacob knocked you out."

Jack continued to rub his jaw. "Oh yeah. Where'd everyone go?"

"They left when Sam went into labor."

"Oh," he replied and continued to sit there for a moment. His eyes got wide. "Wait. What? For crying out loud, Daniel, don't just stand there. Help me up!"

From his vantage point in the control room, Siler watched as Daniel hefted Jack off of the floor and the two quickly made their way out of the 'gate room, following after Sam. He crossed his arms and chuckled. "This is better than television."

"Oh, no," Harriman said suddenly, looking at the chart he was holding.

Siler turned toward him. "What is it?"

Harriman handed his twenty back to him with a grimace. "Looks like you're gonna win the birth date pool."


	17. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that I've posted two chapters tonight, so make sure you've read the one before this!

Jack walked into the infirmary, with a loopy grin and one hand hidden behind his back.

Sam examined her husband through narrowed eyes, a faint smile on her face. "Is that blue jello?"

He presented the confection to her with a flourish. "I think after sixteen hours of labor, you've earned it."

He set it on the tray next to her bed and reached for the small bundle she held tightly to her chest. She handed him his newborn daughter, and he took her carefully into his arms. He smiled down at her, entranced.

Sam picked up the jello and took a bite. "Has my father decided to forgive you, yet?" she asked between spoonfuls.

"No," Jack sighed. "But at least he's agreed to stop hitting me. I think I may have this little one to thank for that." The baby stirred and reached out with a tiny fist to grab Jack's pinky finger.

Sam smiled at the awe she saw in her husband's face. "Yeah, he's pretty taken with her."

"He's not the only one." Jack finally tore his gaze away from his daughter and looked up at Sam. "So, any decisions on a name?"

Sam let the spoon rest on her bottom lip for a moment. "I've been thinking….How about Eva?"

"Eva? As in…"

"Yes, as in the English derivation of Aoife." At Jack's puzzled look, she sat up a bit straighter preparing to make her argument. "If you think about it, she pretty much sacrificed herself for us, Jack, and for her." Sam indicated their daughter. "Plus, Daniel tells me that the name means 'beautiful, radiant, and strong.' And according to Irish folklore, the original Aoife was apparently one hell of a warrior."

"Sounds just like her mother," he responded immediately. He leaned over and kissed his wife tenderly.

Jack looked down at his daughter, his heart brimming with joy. "It's perfect," he said. "Eva it is, then." And with that he placed a kiss on top of her downy head.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - First and foremost, a huge thanks goes to my fabulous beta MidKnight Rider, who kept my heroes in character, refused to let me cut corners in my storytelling, and never, ever allowed me to end a sentence with a preposition even when I really wanted to.
> 
> The Morrigan really does make an appearance in the Season 5 episodes Summit and Last Stand, so check it out if you get the chance. What I didn't know until about half way through this story is that there is a whole background on her in the Stargate Wiki, including a reference to Dagda! It tracks fairly closely with what is here, and since this is AU I'm just going to chalk any discrepancies up to that.
> 
> I made up the name of the planet Cian, but if you want to give it an Irish pronunciation, it would be "KEE-ann." Aoife is actually a popular Irish name and is pronounced "EE-fa," hence the similarity to Eva. (Or at least so I'm told by the ever reliable internet.)
> 
> Just in case you missed it, the M rated continuation of Chapter 10 can be found under my profile. It's entitled Home.
> 
> Finally, I had a blast writing this story, and I hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks for reading! :)


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